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Bryce Mitchell believes 9/11 was an inside job. In other news, water is still wet.

Despite carrying a solid 16-2 record in mixed martial arts, the 29-year-old Mitchell has become best known for his irrational rants regarding religion, politics, homosexuality, space, and a slew of other nonsensical conspiracy theories he’d love to tell you about in great length.

During a recent appearance on the PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David, ‘Thug Nasty’ was asked a seemingly simple question that he promptly turned into an opportunity to claim that the horrific terrorist attack that took down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, was orchestrated by the U.S. government.

“When I was 16, that’s when the biggest revelation, besides Jesus Christ, that I’ve ever had happened to me,” Mitchell said. “Based upon my own research because I am a source of information, and even though they don’t let you cite yourself, I am a valid source of information. I don’t do no bullsh*t. I tell the truth and if I don’t know it’s true, I won’t say it.

“I’m telling you, I know and I knew when I was 16 that our government orchestrated 9/11 and brought them towers down. I know it. Our government, white people — rich white politicians, not brown people with box cutters. I’m telling you, white people brought down them Twin Towers.“

9/11 claimed the lives of 2,996 people and was the worst terror attack to ever take place on American soil.

Bryce Mitchell Has not booked a return date since his brutal kO loss in December

After kickstarting his career in the Octagon with five straight wins, Bryce Mitchell has lost two of his last three. In his last outing, ‘Thug Nasty’ suffered one of the scariest knockouts in UFC history after absorbing an earth-shattering right hand from KO artist Josh Emmett at UFC 296.

It was an especially disturbing scene as Mitchell began to convulse on the canvas while unconscious. Fortunately, the Arkansas native made a full recovery but is yet to book his next bout.

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Inaugural UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey has revealed she had initially started dealing with concussion-like symptoms at just 6-years-old – claiming her career in combat sports could have gone much differently if she avoided neurological issues.

Rousey, a former undisputed bantamweight champion under the banner of the UFC, called time on her combat sports career following back-to-back knockout losses to former champions, Amanda Nunes, and Holly Holm back in 2015, and 2016, respectively. 

And forever linked with a return to mixed martial arts – particularly for this year’s huge UFC 300 card, Rousey had revealed she was dealing with numerous neurological issues early on in her career in combat sports.

Furthermore, the Riverside grappler claimed she had suffered a concussion in the days ahead of her infamous title fight with Albuquerque rival, Holm, and detailed how even jab strikes during his career in the UFC left her dealing with neurological issues.

Ronda Rousey reveals concussions issues suffered at just 6 years old

Opening up further on her history with injuries, Rousey claimed at just 6 years of age, she suffered from concussion-like symptoms.

“If the concussions weren’t an issue, things would’ve happened completely differently,” Ronda Rousey told CBS Sports during a recent interview. “Accumulative neurological injuries is something people don’t talk about in MMA. It’s something that everybody is dealing with at a different pace. I started dealing with it at 6 years old. I started getting concussions much earlier on in swimming. Two kids doing a backstroke in the other direction crack heads or hit the wall during the backstroke.”

“I started doing judo at a young age and kept getting concussions regularly and multiple times a year and not being allowed to speak up or say anything about it,” Ronda Rousey continued. “As a fighter, you’re not supposed to show any weaknesses or talk about things like that or the inevitable neurological decline that comes with taking headshots. A lot of people talk about it as if it’s making excuses or weakness.”

What are your thoughts on Ronda Rousey’s career in the UFC?

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Former two-time undisputed bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw has firmly shut down rumors of a return to combat sports off the back of his retirement from fighting back 2022, claiming he is definitely “done”. 

Dillashaw, a former two-time undisputed bantamweight champion, called time on his career in mixed martial arts two years ago following an unsuccessful title challenge against fellow former champion, Aljamain Sterling.

Suffering a flare up of a pre-existing shoulder injury during the early goings of his title charge against the above-mentioned, Sterling, ex-champion, Dillashaw was dispatched in dominant fashion by the Uniondale native, dropping a second round TKO loss in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

T.J. Dillashaw confirms fighting career is definitely over

And still dealing with shoulder issues following a slew of reconstructive surgical procedures, Angels Camp native, Dillashaw confirmed this week that he is “done” with fighting, definitively, amid recent links to a second comeback to the Octagon.

“It’s exciting, and it’s sad at the same time,” T.J. Dillashaw spoke of the bantamweight division during an appearance on the JAXXON Podcast. “Like, I’m f*cking done, you know what I mean? I was forced out of the sport and it sucks. I felt like I had so much more to give still. It is exciting [to watch fights]. But that’s that way I look at it.”

Divulging an update on his shoulder issue, Dillashaw admitted he will likely never regain full strength of it again, describing the lingering injury as “depressing”.

“I can’t even raise my arm up in the air yet,” T.J. Dillashaw explained. “I don’t ever know if my shoulder is ever going to be the same again. It’s f*cking depressing. As a competitor, you have to be delusionally optimistic, but that’s also what got me in this position, too. It’s just gotten worse and worse from each surgery.”

Would you have liked to see T.J. Dillashaw continue his UFC career?

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Former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier has played up a long-rumored heavyweight super fight between promotional champions, Jon Jones and Alex Pereira – as soon as UFC 309 later this year, describing the massive clash as “blockbuster”.

Jones, the incumbent heavyweight champion, is all but officially set to return to action before the end of this annum in the main event of UFC 309, in a debut outing at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Expected to take on the returning former two-time heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, Rochester native, Jones has recently ramped up training for his return to the Octagon for the first time since March of last year.

Weighing up his immediate fighting future ahead of his comeback fight, Rochester native, Jones admitted he was not sure if he would continue competing after his bout with Miocic, however, amid links to a super fight the above-mentioned, Pereira, claimed there were many options still on the table for him.

UFC urged to go all-in on Jon Jones – Alex Pereira super fight

And one party willing the bout into fruition is the above-mentioned, Poirier, who believes the UFC should skip both Miocic, and current interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall – and go ‘all-in’ on a fight between Jones and Pereira.

“If (Jon) Jones wrestles, I mean, Jones is lot bigger – I don’t know, Jones has never been knocked out,” Dustin Poirier told MMA FIghting while discussing a potential Jon Jones x Alex Pereira matchup. “Jones is not gonna play the game with him, he’s too smart. But also, moving to heavyweight might prolong his (Jones’) longevity – a heavyweight’s shelf live is a lot longer. And even with the heavyweight division, bro, Stipe’s (Miocic) been out a good bit, and like I was saying about (Michael) Chandler, we age quick.”

“Stipe could come back and be a completely different person,” Poirier continued. “… Aspinall is like, obviously legit, he’s the interim champion, he’s beat some good guys, but he doesn’t have that aura that Alex and Jones have. It’s the perfect time for it – it’s bigger, it’s a blockbuster [fight], bro. …Dude, Jon Jones versus Alex is the one.”

Enjoying a stunning victory at the end of last month, former middleweight champion, Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight crown for the second time, taking out former gold holder, Jiri Prochazka with a thunderous second round high-kick KO – and subsequently called for a heavyweight leap.

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Nate Diaz is open to a rubber match with Jorge Masvidal.

After surrendering a third-round TKO stoppage to ‘Gamebred’ inside the Octagon five years ago, Diaz evened the score with a majority decision victory in their critically acclaimed boxing clash in Anaheim. Though the decision came with a bit of controversy, the ‘Stockton Samurai’ came out on top, opening a lot of doors for the former UFC star.

Of course, the biggest question on the minds of fight fans is when could we see the trilogy fight between himself and Masvidal. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Diaz let the door open for a third meeting with his longtime rival, though he declined to suggest that it would be anytime soon.

“That’s a whole ‘nother situation for later. I think we’re 1-0 on each other,” suggested Diaz. “He got a win in MMA, I got a win in boxing. So who knows what’s going to happen next with him, but at some point…”

Nate Diaz Wants to ‘whoop [jake paul’s] ass

Instead, Nate Diaz is focusing on a couple of other names. In particular, a rematch with the man who beat him in his professional boxing debut last year, Jake Paul.

‘The Problem Child’ welcomed Diaz to the squared circle in August 2023, securing a unanimous decision win over the TUF alumnus in Dallas. Since then, Paul has poked and prodded the Stockton native, attempting to draw him into a rematch in the world of mixed martial arts. However, Diaz appears to be much more interested in running it back with Paul in the sweet science.

Diaz also reiterated his interest in a rematch with reigning UFC welterweight world champion Leon Edwards.

“Just off the top of my head, I would like to whoop [Jake Paul’s] ass,” Diaz said. I would like to get a win against Leon Edwards, who is the best fighter in the world right now at 170. I think that’s something major, who’s actually going to bring something that I can take and put in the credential box. That’s what I’m going for. I’m not playing for no f*cking fun fights, because that sh*t ain’t fun” (h/t Cageside Press).

Edwards won their UFC 263 clash via a unanimous decision, but Diaz famously rocked ‘Rocky’ in the final minute of the fight, leading many to believe that Diaz would have scored a knockout had there been more time on the clock.

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Ahead of his return at the end of the month in the main event of UFC 304, incumbent welterweight champion, Leon Edwards has welcomed a potential super fight against current lightweight kingpin, Islam Makhachev, claiming he can definitely forsee a pairing between himself and the Russian soon.

Edwards, the current undisputed welterweight champion, returns this month in Manchester, headlining UFC 304 in a rematch against his fellow surging star, Belal Muhammad in a re-run of their official ‘No Contest’ showdown back in 2020.

Sidelined since last December, Birmingham native, Edwards most recently racked up his second successful defense of the 170lbs championship, turning in a one-sided unanimous decision shutout win over former interim gold holder, Colby Covington.

Leon Edwards welcomes super fight with Islam Makhachev after UFC 304

And forever linked with a super fight against current pound-for-pound lightweight champion, Makhachev for his own welterweight crown, Edwards admitted that while both himself and the 155lbs kingpin has some more work to do, they will likely meet down the line.

“For sure, for sure,” Leon Edwards said of a title fight with Islam Makhachev during an interview with talkSPORT. “I feel like we’ve both got work to do within our division… We’re both on similar paths so I can see that happening in the future. I would like to move up as well, and challenge for the middleweight belt.”

Earlier this week to boot, Team Renegade MMA & BJJ mainstay, Edwards received a call out from former foe, Nate Diaz – who welcomed the chance to take on his past rival in a welterweight championship rematch, off the back of his own boxing win over Jorge Masvidal. 

Who would win in a future title super fight: Leon Edwards or Islam Makhachev?

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Seeing a long-anticipated grudge match with ex-champion, Conor McGregor shelved late last month, Michael Chandler appears to be welcoming all comers next – now offering to take on Nate Diaz at the Las Vegas Sphere in the main event of UFC 306.

Chandler, who currently holds the number six ranked lightweight challenger, has been sidelined for the last two years from the Octagon, dropping a third round rear-naked choke submission defeat to Dustin Poirier at Madison Square Garden back in 2022.

As for Diaz, the UFC veteran made his return to combat sports over the course of last weekend in his native California, taking on fellow promotional alum, Jorge Masvidal in a professional boxing rematch, taking home a close majority decision win over the course of 10 rounds in Anaheim. 

And remaining committed in his pursuit to take on McGregor following his exit from a UFC 303 comeback at the end of last month, Chandler claimed he was confident a grudge match with the Dubliner will happen “quicker” than critics think.

“It’s a bitter sweet weekend, but we’re having a good time, and we should hopefully be off hiatus quicker than people think,” Michael Chandler said. “I’ll tell you what, I do love to fight, but I am a very patient man. And luckily, my life is such that I have done so many things outside of just fighting that I’ve been able to sit out, be patient, still got work outside fighting. [I] stayed busy the last year and a half, and this one didn’t come to fruition.”

“We’re gonna stay patient – we’re not gonna let him (Conor McGregor) off the hook,” Michael Chandler explained. “I like to say, ‘We’re not gonna let him off the hook.’ Talks are happening between me and the UFC, I’m meeting with them tonight actually. I know Conor is gonna be ready to come back soon, ‘cause it’s just a pinky toe {injury), so we’ll see.”

Michael Chandler offers to fight Nate Diaz

However, with a bout still stuck on skids amid McGregor’s latest family vacation to Switzerland, Chandler has offered to take on Diaz in a massive showdown at Noche UFC in two months time.

“Sit down, Ron…,” Michael Chandler replied to a user on his official X account. “Better idea – me and @NateDiaz209 fight like two men while Conor sits on a yacht and watches on PPV in his slippers. #ufcnoche #riyadhseason”

Would you like to see Michael Chandler take on Nate Diaz next?

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Marc Goddard wanted nothing to do with Israel Adesanya’s UFC rematch with Alex Pereira.

Goddard is considered by many to be one of the UFC’s most respected referees, often acting as the third man in the Octagon for some of the biggest fights in the promotion’s history. That includes his role in the UFC 281 encounter between former middleweight world champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.

On that night, ‘The Last Stylebender’ surrendered the 185-pound crown to his GLORY Kickboxing foe via a shocking fifth-round knockout. However, the stoppage was the subject of some criticism with many suggesting that Goddard stepped in too early and should have allowed Adesanya more time to recover.

Adesanya himself was also critical of the stoppage, prompting Goddard to request that he not be involved in their rematch at UFC 287 five months later.

“Do you remember when Israel Adesanya fought Alex Pereira for the second time in Miami? I specifically requested not to do that fight [too],” Goddard said during an appearance on the Overdogs Podcast.

“Me and him are [fine], I’ve refereed him since, I’ve refereed his fight with Sean Strickland, but I actually removed myself because what I didn’t want to do was walk in the dressing room, I was thinking of the fighter then, this is his night, it’s all about him. I didn’t want to walk into that dressing room and him to have any form of negative connotations or something like that.”

“So, I just thought that the right thing to do and the fairest thing to do by him is just stay out of the fight and give it to another ref. There’s been a couple of incidences where there’s [been] certain fighters that I would rather not [officiate] for personal reasons” (h/t Bloody Elbow).

Marc Goddard will never referee a Leon Edwards fight

Goddard also revealed during the conversation that there is one specific fighter you will never see him in the Octagon with, though for a very different reason.

“Here’s a classic case, Leon Edwards — you’ve never seen me referee Leon Edwards in the UFC and you never will, why? Because I was Leon Edwards’ first MMA coach,” Goddard revealed.

“[That was] way, way back when he was an amateur but it’s a common-sense element for me, even though the link is so [dated], who knew then when Leon first walked in… But you’ve never saw me referee him and you never will because we just keep it out of the way.”

Outside of the obvious reasons, Goddard also explained that he doesn’t want to find himself “in a predicament where I’m making a call that could go against him so it’s both ways.”

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According to former two-division champion, Daniel Cormier, a fan “uprising” by the end of this month could force the UFC’s hand into a long-awaited fight between heavyweight stars, Jon Jones, and Tom Aspinall.

Later this month in Manchester, interim heavyweight champion, Aspinall returns to co-headline UFC 304, taking on perennial contender, Curtis Blaydes in a defense of his interim crown as the duo lock horns for a second time. 

And long-linked with a title unification fight against the previously mentioned, Jones, Atherton native, Aspinall will lay in wait for his chance to unify the belts, with the former expected to headline UFC 309 in November against the returning, Stipe Miocic in a rescheduled showdown at Madison Square Garden.

Tom Aspinall offered potential route to Jon Jones fight

Despite the fact the duo are on separate collision courses with altering foes, the above-mentioned, Cormier claims if Aspinall manages to land a stunning victory over Blaydes at UFC 304, an uprising from fans could force the hand of the UFC to book him against Jones.

“Could you imagine if Tom Aspinall just washes out Curtis Blaydes,” Daniel Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Then the firestorm that would start to gather for him to fight [Jon] Jones? For there to truly be an uprising, it would have to be Aspinall destroying Blaydes. Only because of this: You’ve see Curtis Blaydes lose before, so people would think, ‘Oh, he beat Tom Aspinall, but we’ve seen him get beat by Francis (Ngannou) and lose to other guys.’”

“…There may be such a fan uprising that the UFC may have to be forced to make Jones vs. Aspinall,” Cormier explained. “I don’t know what that would mean for my man Stipe (Miocic), but it sounds like if it does happen, he’s okay with it.”

Who do you think wins in a future fight: Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall?

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Looking to rebound to the winning circle at UFC 305 next month in a title clash with arch-rival, Dricus du Plessis in Perth, former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has vowed to lay waste to each and every one of his opponents in “fantastic fashion” before it’s all said and done.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middlweight champion, is set to headline next month’s pay-per-view return ‘Dowunder’ – attempting to return to Australia in winning form this time around.

Sidelined since September of last year, City Kickboxing star, Adesanya most recently dropped his middleweight crown for the second time in the space of a calendar year, in the form of a one-sided unanimous decision loss to Sean Strickland.

Israel Adesanya vows to beat fighters in “fantastic fashion”

And drawing promotional-perfect Pretoria native, du Plessis at UFC 305 next month in a bid to become the first three-time champion in the history of the organization, Adesanya has vowed to beat each and every one of the last foes on his run in eye-catching fashion.

“I fought the largest middleweight, Alex Pereira, and i knocked him out,” Israel Adesanya said on the Sias du Plessis Show. “How am I gonna deal with Dricus’ uniqueness? It’s just be unique myself. Be unique to who I am.”

“Never again will I ever stray away from my style or my flow just because I wanna do something different or pander or anything like that,” Israel Adesanya explained. “I’m always gonna stick to my style and stick to what I do best, which is beating people up in fantastic fashion. And, yeah, I’ve done that my whole career, and I wanna get back to that. I’m not really worried about the outcome. It’s more about the journey.”

Who wins next month at UFC 305: Dricus du Plessis or Israel Adesanya?

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