"A g*y strategy" - UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell goes on anti-LGBTQ rant against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guard pullers and more
UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell has reaffirmed his anti-LGBTQ stance with a tirade against what he labeled a "g*y strategy" adopted by certain BJJ practitioners.
Bryce Mitchell has often found himself on the receiving end of considerable criticism for some of his public assertions.
The American MMA fighter previously made several remarks against the LGBTQ community, which were labeled as incendiary and bigoted by many in the combat sports realm and beyond.
Here in 2026, "Thug Nasty" appears to have reaffirmed his anti-LGBTQ stance. The UFC featherweight staple has also suggested that the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) community has lately been inundated with practitioners who utilize what he deemed to be a "g*y strategy."
Bryce Mitchell puts forth anti-LGBTQ tirade against BJJ guard pullers, gives his views on using Jiu-Jitsu
Back in January 2025, Bryce Mitchell sparked controversy with his comments about the Hol*c*ust and anti-LGBTQ socio-political views. The matter snowballed into the mainstream pop culture sphere of the United States of America and beyond.
UFC CEO and president Dana White condemned Mitchell's statements but also clarified that no punitive action would be taken. White underlined that he and the UFC MMA organization are proponents of free speech, which is why Mitchell would still be a part of the promotion's roster.
Mitchell last competed at the UFC Fight Night event, headlined by Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim, on June 6, 2026. The Arkansas native bested Santiago Luna via submission.
During a subsequent appearance on the Red Hawk Recap podcast, hosted by "Sugar" Sean O'Malley's coach Tim Welch, Mitchell discussed various topics.
Mitchell and Welch spoke about the grappling-centric martial art of BJJ. "Thug Nasty" seemed to lambast the BJJ artists who start from the bottom position, pull guard, or engage in b*tt-scooting.
On that note, Mitchell stated, "Well, it is getting g*y when it gets to that level of extremity, you know, where these guys can't wrestle. They don't have the desire to get dominant position. You know what I'm saying? That's a very manly desire. That's a very masculine thing to do."
Harking back to his most recent fight where he found himself on his back, Mitchell signaled that pulling guard could be a last resort, and the objective should be to secure the top position:
"The first thing I did, though, was get my guard 'cause I do not want this guy in side-mount for me. You know, so I pulled my guard, and then I worked to wrestle. And I used those fundamentals. It's just a anti-g*y strategy."
Reiterating his anti-LGBTQ stance, Mitchell said, "A g*y strategy would be go sit on your a*s and wait for them to do something."
Furthermore, Mitchell indicated that he prefers utilizing his Jiu-Jitsu primarily in case he gets knocked down to the mat. He seemingly deemed BJJ to be a safety net that a fighter could use when needed.
Also, Welch and his podcast co-host chimed in with their criticism of the supposed b*tt-scooters and guard pullers in BJJ. Mitchell then added that it was "borderline demonic" and "wicked stuff."
Bryce Mitchell sounds off on BJJ superstar Mikey Musumeci
Moreover, Bryce Mitchell took aim at Mikey Musumeci, a grappling savant and BJJ superstar. The 31-year-old opined that Musumeci is a tremendous grappler, but he underscored that his grappling style would surely help him defeat the popular Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mainstay.
Mitchell implied that there's a practice of propping up a certain superstar as the unbeatable face of a given combat sport, be it in MMA or purportedly with Musumeci in BJJ.
Mitchell noted, "Once again, he (Mikey Musumeci) will not wrestle. He sits on his a*s. I will not watch that, ever, and I mean ever. I don't watch g*y stuff. I don't entertain it."
Watch Bryce Mitchell's anti-LGBTQ assertions and criticism of some BJJ martial artists below (*comments at the 38:33-minute mark of the video):
