Bryce Mitchell had to endure a nasty weight cut for his bantamweight clash with dangerous prospect Santiago Luna this weekend at UFC Vegas 118, but at least “Thug Nasty” had UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland to lean on.
This weekend is a big one for Mitchell as he makes his second appearance at 135 pounds as a member of the UFC roster. Mitchell is coming off a win over Said Nurmagomedov back in July 2025. Another victory this Saturday and “Thug Nasty” should find himself in the UFC bantamweight rankings next week. Things almost took a turn for the worse as Mitchell — who competed in UFC’s featherweight division from 2019-2025 — endured a grueling weight cut for Friday’s official weigh ins (watch HERE). Luckily, Mitchell had Strickland by his side.
Not only are the two fighters good friends and often train together, but they are two of the most outspoken fighters the UFC has ever contracted. Just this past week both Mitchell and Strickland spoke out in protest about UFC’s upcoming White House card next weekend. It’s scary to see Mitchell and Strickland share a similar view on a controversial topic, but at least they have each other’s backs when the tough gets going.
“Sean Strickland lifted my spirit today,” wrote Mitchell via Instagram. “While cutting weight I’m not allowed to be tired in front of my big brother.
“It’s incredible how God uses us to inspire one another. When Sean walks in his presence is always noticeable and I always feel protected.
“He let me say a prayer for him. What an honor.”
