Psalm 104:5 states, “He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.” For centuries, this Old Testament verse was used to support the geocentric theory—the belief that the Earth remains stationary while everything in the solar system revolves around it. This idea, once strictly upheld by the Church from the 2nd century AD through the Middle Ages, was eventually overturned as scientific discoveries led to the acceptance of the heliocentric model. Despite overwhelming modern evidence, UFC featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell still stands by the geocentric theory.

No stranger to controversy, Bryce Mitchell has repeatedly made headlines for inflammatory remarks, including calling Adolf Hitler a “good guy” and expressing his wish to “go fishing” with the infamous dictator. More recently, during an episode of his podcast, he doubled down on his stance as flat-earther, further fueling debate around his unconventional beliefs. Naturally, his comments did not go unnoticed. A fighter who took issue with ‘Thug Nasty’s statements was Jean Silva (15-2-0), a rising featherweight contender.

Fresh off a dominant performance at UFC Seattle, ‘Lord’ extended his winning streak to five with a highlight-reel knockout against Melsik Baghdasaryan. Following his victory, Jean Silva wasted no time in addressing Bryce Mitchell during the post-fight press conference. “As far as everything else (that Mitchell has said recently), I think there are things you just can’t tolerate, especially when you’re a public figure and say them out loud,” the Brazilian stated, making his stance clear.

Unsurprisingly, the American didn’t take the criticism lightly. Shortly after, he fired back on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “There’s only one LORD, and it ain’t you, fool. You need a country a– whoopin’. It will humble you just right.” However, Jean Silva was unfazed. Rather than backing down, he delivered a sharp jab at Bryce Mitchell’s flat Earth beliefs, responding: “Ok, ok, but I’m gonna beat you until you see the Earth is round.”

Despite his growing popularity as a young sensation in the UFC, ‘Thug Nasty‘s controversial statements have drawn significant criticism. Publicly professing your love for God, and pushing your spiritual beliefs publicly is fine. Believing in flat-Earth theory is fine. Not wearing a seatbelt is fine. But praising one of the most infamous mass murderers in history, and then berating the community that suffered because of said tyrant, is pushing things a bit too far. Bryce Mitchell went so far as to say that Hitler was justified in “kicking the greedy Jews out of Germany”, which sparked widespread outrage across the MMA community and beyond.

The backlash was swift and severe. UFC light heavyweight contender Jan Błachowicz responded by inviting the American to visit his home country of Poland, urging him to learn about the atrocities committed by Hitler against the Jewish people. Dana White also condemned ‘Thug Nasty’s remarks, calling him “dumb and ignorant”. Eventually, the heat from his statements led Bryce Mitchell to issue an apology for his previous comments.

Bryce Mitchell issued an apology for praising the “evil” Hitler

“It’s free speech; that’s the beautiful thing about this business,“ said UFC CEO Dana White when reporters asked if he would take action against Bryce Mitchell or remove him from the UFC roster. However, things took a turn for ‘Thug Nasty’ after his controversial remarks. YouTube was the first to act, issuing an official strike on the initial video of his podcast, which featured a highly controversial episode discussing Hitler and justifying Holocaust-related views.

Many criticized the decision to kick off his podcast with such a sensitive topic, with some calling it a “dumb move” to start with an episode that attempted to justify Holocaust-centric views. As the backlash grew, Bryce Mitchell found himself facing severe criticism from fans worldwide. Even UFC and Dana White reached out to the featherweight contender, expressing their disappointment in his actions. In response, the Arkansas export eventually broke his silence with an Instagram post. However, his apology left many questioning whether it would be enough to clear the stain on his reputation.

“I’m sorry I sounded insensitive. I definitely was not trying to offend anybody, but I know I did. I know that a lot of people died in the Holocaust, and that’s a fact. Hitler did a lot of evil things, I think we can agree on that. I’m definitely not a Nazi, and definitely do not condone any of the evil things Hitler did.”

What’s your take on a possible fight between Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell? With Silva’s skills and knockout power, do you think the Brazilian could teach the flat-Earther, ‘Thug Nasty’, a lesson in the Octagon? Share your opinion below.