Bryce Mitchell has long been one of the UFC’s most controversial and unpredictable personalities. Known as much for his wild theories as for his fighting skills, the Arkansas native has made headlines for everything from accusing Elon Musk of implanting brain chips in people to claiming Adolf Hitler was a good guy. Beyond his outspoken nature, Mitchell has also had a history of bizarre injuries, including the infamous 2018 incident where he accidentally tore his scrotum with a power drill.
Now, the former featherweight contender is dealing with a new setback: a nose injury. While this latest injury is far more routine than his past mishaps, ‘Thug Nasty’ still found a way to make it memorable, taking to social media to issue a very unusual demand regarding his treatment.
Bryce Mitchell Says Friend Stepped In to Fix His Broken Nose for Free
In a recent Instagram video, a bloodied Mitchell showed off a broken nose, apparently suffered during training. Hoping to avoid an expensive hospital bill, the 31-year-old made a public plea for help.
He said, “Hey, I’m in Searcy, Arkansas, right now. I need my nose straightened out. I just got it broken, you can tell it’s sideways.”
The current 135lbs contender added, “Dude, the doctors are so expensive. They’re $2,000 or some sh*t just to set my nose. Can somebody in Searcy, by the grace of God, please set my nose back for free?”
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Just hours later, Mitchell returned with an update video, revealing that a friend had fixed his nose for free and explaining why he had made the plea in the first place.
He informed his viewers, “I want to let you all know that I’m doing really good. I’m totally healed, thank the lord. I apologize for looking like a cheapskate.
‘Thug Nasty’ further added, “Right when that happened, my brain went into primal survival instinct, and I started thinking, ‘This is going to be expensive. This is going to be thousands of dollars to fix.’ It’s a shame that’s where my brain went to. That was my main concern. My buddy did fix it for free.”
Update: Bryce Mitchell got his nose fixed
“I apologize for looking for a cheapskate… my buddy did fix it for free. When I ripped my nuts in half it was only $1250. That was the best $1250 I ever spent.” 😭😭
🎥 @ThugnastyMMA https://t.co/DnFvstQPKH pic.twitter.com/ravPELJKkm
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 29, 2025
Mitchell’s post also caught the attention of former middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who sarcastically commented, “Well, I was wrong……you have to have a fight booked to get medical from the UFC lmao what a joke….”
The message spread quickly, with fans questioning whether the UFC was refusing to cover Mitchell’s medical costs for something as simple as a broken nose. Technically, the promotion does provide insurance, but only under specific circumstances.
UFC fighters are classified as independent contractors, not employees, which means they don’t receive full-time healthcare. The organization covers medical expenses only if a fighter is injured during a fight or while preparing for a scheduled bout.
Under the current policy, fighters receive up to $50,000 in medical coverage per event for in-fight injuries and an additional $50,000 annually for accidental health coverage, which includes training injuries. There’s even $1 million in coverage for brain injuries in New York.
However, injuries that happen outside of an official training camp or scheduled fight aren’t covered, leaving fighters like Mitchell and a dozen others to handle those bills on their own.
