Dana White Condemns Bryce Mitchell's Controversial Hitler Comment As 'Ignorant And Dumb'

Yahoo

31-01-2025

UFC president Dana White has called out Bryce Mitchell for the controversial statement he made while appearing on his ArkanSanity podcast.
The featherweight contender during the podcast denied the Holocaust, calling Adolf Hitler a "good guy."
Since then, Bryce has faced criticism from his colleagues, fans, and now the chairman of the mixed martial arts organization he represents.
While appearing at a press conference ahead of a Power Slap event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, January 30, UFC Chairman Dana White criticized the comments made by Bryce Mitchell, the number thirteen-ranked featherweight contender on the UFC roster.
Mitchell, in the first episode of his podcast, while talking about Elon Musk's Nazi-like salute at a Trump rally, defended Hitler, also denying the Holocaust.
"When you realize there's no possible way they could've burned and cremated 6 million bodies, you're gonna realize the Holocaust ain't real," he claimed per Hindustantimes.
White stated the UFC had reached out to Mitchell to express disappointment, adding, "I've heard a lot of dumb and ignorant shit over the years, but this is probably the worst."
Dana White's strong condemnation of Mitchell's comments had led to speculations that the fighter might face some disciplinary actions from the UFC.
However, when quizzed about the possibility of punishing Mitchell, White explained that, despite what anyone thinks, the fighter is entitled to say whatever he wants because of his right to "free speech."
"That's what everyone wants to hear about punishment, but it's free speech. I don't have to love it, you don't have to love it," White said.
Although Mitchell will continue fighting in the UFC, White suggested he might face his punishment inside the octagon, stating, "For all of you that hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on the global stage."
The decision not to punish Mitchell for his controversial comments has not gone well with some UFC fans.
After Dana White's comments that people should tune in to Michell's next fight to hopefully see him beaten, X user ScalyWaggington commented, "This is about as good as you could expect from @danawhite, considering he has investors and whatnot."
Meanwhile, another section of fans on X (formerly Twitter) questioned White's hypocrisy for speaking out against Mitchell when he had refused to address comments from another one of his fighters, Sean Strickland, against Muslims.
Popular streamer Sneako questioned why White would hold a press conference about Mitchell but not Strickland, declaring, "It shows you can talk about one group, but you can't talk about the other one."
Although Mitchell's recent Hitler comments have earned him a lot of criticism, this isn't the first time the mixed martial artist has made controversial comments.
In 2024, Mitchell explained that he wanted to homeschool his son to prevent him from being gay. In an Instagram video, he remarked, "We're going to have to homeschool all our kids, or they're all going to end up turning gay."
Another of Mitchell's comments is his belief that the earth is flat and that gravity doesn't exist. The UFC fighter made the comment in 2022 after calling out famous podcaster Joe Rogan for talking cr-p about him and his mother's belief about the earth.
"This earth is flat, it's fixed, and the stars and stuff rotate around us. The sun rotates around us, and I can prove that," Mitchell said, according to Metro UK.
Since Mitchell's Hitler remarks went viral, UFC fighters have been addressing the comments made by one of their colleagues.
In an Instagram post, Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy called out Mitchell for his comments, declaring, per Newsweek, "You can call me a greedy jew to my face, and we'll see what's up."
In contrast, former UFC fighter and five-time world champion Jake Shields defended Mitchell, saying that it's totally okay for people to praise Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is responsible for the death of children in Gaza, but not Hitler.
Levy wrote, "It's socially acceptable to praise him, yet everyone loses their mind when Bryce Mitchell praises a man who's been dead for 80 years."