Bryce Mitchell: “Fishing With Hitler” Comment Means I’m Not Getting Into White House UFC Show
Bryce Mitchell is fighting this Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, and the Arkansas featherweight says he won’t be attending the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. Mitchell told interviewer Sneako on X that he’s been shut out because of past comments about Adolf Hitler. “I’m definitely not gonna be able to go because, you know, I said I’d go fishing with Hitler,” Mitchell said.
Bryce Mitchell Says “Fishing With Hitler” Comment Will Keep Him From UFC White House Freedom 250 Event
The controversy started in late January 2025 on Mitchell’s debut podcast episode, ArkanSanity. During the show, Mitchell claimed Hitler was “a good guy based upon my own research, not my public education indoctrination.” He added, “I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy to go fishing with.” Mitchell also denied the Holocaust occurred, saying there was “no conceivable way they could have cremated 6 million bodies.”
UFC president Dana White condemned the remarks immediately. White called Mitchell’s comments “dumb, ignorant” and said the UFC contacted him to express “absolute disgust.” Despite the backlash, White confirmed Mitchell would face no disciplinary action, citing free speech protections. Mitchell issued an apology on Instagram two days later, writing, “I apologize if I came across as insensitive. I certainly did not intend to offend anyone, but I realize I did.” He acknowledged that “many people lost their lives in the Holocaust” and that “Hitler did a lot of wicked things.”
Now Mitchell says those comments are costing him access to the White House event. UFC Freedom 250 is scheduled for June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn to mark Donald Trump’s birthday and America’s 250th anniversary. The card features title bouts between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title, plus Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.
Mitchell isn’t the only fighter locked out. Middleweight champion Sean Strickland said he was banned because he “made fun of Israel and Epstein.” Strickland criticized Israel’s ongoing war in the Middle East. On the UFC Vegas 118 media day, Mitchell weighed in on Strickland’s situation: “I’m not surprised at all. We ought to be able to criticize our own nation, let alone a foreign nation. [Israel] is the only nation you’re not allowed to criticize,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell drew a sharper line in his Sneako interview, criticizing wealthy elites. “They took one thing I said out of context and then told the world that I’m the evil guy,” he said. “I’m an American farmer, I help feed people in this country. You have these billionaires telling me that I’m not an American. They’re cowards, and they’re the ones that aren’t American.”
Mitchell also questioned the event itself, saying “the government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us.” Despite being barred, he told reporters he still wants to fight on the White House card. “I do want to be on the card. I do,” Mitchell said at media day.
This Saturday, Mitchell faces undefeated Santiago Luna at UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs. Bonfim at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Luna stepped in after Victor Henry withdrew from the bout. Mitchell is ranked 13th in the featherweight division. The farming background he cites is real: Mitchell grew up on a rural Arkansas farm and frequently references his agricultural roots in interviews.
The White House event will host around 4,000 attendees on the South Lawn, with 85,000 free tickets available for big-screen viewing at nearby Ellipse Park. Mitchell’s exclusion highlights ongoing tensions between the UFC’s political alignments and fighters who push back against the organization’s direction.
