Bryce Mitchell took a dig at the current UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, as the Australian has stated that there is a lack of quality title contenders in the 145-pound weight division.
“I’ve proved that I’m gonna be active. I want to fight every few months. I didn’t put myself in a position to make sure I lock myself in for no reason. There’s a reason. I don’t want to wait around; I want to be active. I’m at my peak right now. Get me to work. Even if it’s two divisions, I’ll defend both of them and I guarantee you I’ll be more active than most champs would in each division.”
.@alexvolkanovski explains he won’t keep Beneil Dariush waiting if he wins the title at #UFC284! 🏆
“I'll go take that belt, I'll tell him and go, hey, in a couple of months, let's do it. Where are we doing it? You know what I mean?”
🎥: https://t.co/czJU5K8Pa8 pic.twitter.com/kpeUzEH25C
— Submission Radio (@SubmissionRadio) October 27, 2022
In the same interview, the current No. 1 pound-for-pound UFC fighter also expressed his desire to fight Beneil Dariush very soon.
However, Mitchell, the current 11th-ranked featherweight fighter, believes that fighting Volkanovski is a great way to make money and that anyone in his weight division would fight him.
Thug Nasty even blamed “The Great” didn’t want to fight the toughest fighter of the division,
“Say I knock out Volkanovski cold, okay? Then go on three fights and knock out three other contenders, I’d be $10 million in the bank, don’t you think?”
“Besides lottery tickets and illegal activities, what the f**k else can I do to get $10 million in my bank in three years? I can go knock Alexander Volkanovski the f**k out and get $10 million and I’m tired of him talking about, ‘There’s no other contenders.’ He ain’t fighting the toughest motherf**kers.” Mitchell told to ESPN.
Following his first professional defeat against Ilia Topuria at UFC 282, the chance of getting a title shot will be harder for the 28-year-old American. On the other hand, Volkanovski will face the current UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, at UFC 284 on February 12, 2023, at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.