‘Thug Nasty’ Bryce Mitchell (15-0-0) stepped into the Octagon for the seventh time at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night at UFC 282. Meeting him inside the cage was Ilia Topuria (12-0-0), another undefeated standout looking to hand ‘Thug Nasty’ his first career loss.
Both fighters came out hot with Ilia Topuria looking to land big strikes early. As the fight developed, it was clear that Topuria had both the power and technique advantage on the feet. A heavy calf kick early forced Mitchell to switch his stance and shoot for a takedown. Topuria showed great wrestling defense, avoiding Mitchell’s multiple takedown attempts until finally succumbing to one in the last minute of the opening round. By then, the damage caused by Topuria likely already earned him a 10-9 on the judges’ scorecards.
Going into the second round, Topuria began to headhunt, looking for the highlight reel knockout. Hoping to avoid damage, Mitchell moved in for the takedown, but Topuria overpowered him, putting Mitchell’s back to the canvas and immediately locking in an arm triangle choke. Mitchell immediately tapped out.
Official Result: Ilia Topuria def. Bryce Mitchell via submission (arm triangle) at 3:10 of Round 2
