Bryce Mitchell has dealt with plenty of unusual injuries throughout his career, and he recently added another one to the list.
Speaking during UFC Vegas 118 media day, Mitchell shared how a workout session turned painful after laundry detergent left in his shirt caused a severe reaction on his skin ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Santiago Luna.
Mitchell Suffers Painful Training Mishap
According to Mitchell in UFC Vegas 118 media day, the issue started while he was training with fellow UFC fighter TJ Brown.
“I had some laundry detergent that got stuck in my shirt. I started doing a workout and that shirt and the laundry detergent got all in my skin and the suds were coming out of my shirt and I didn’t know what was happening, so I kept training.”
Mitchell eventually realized the foam was not sweat.
“Then it started getting bubbly and foamy and I was like, ‘No, bro, that’s not milk. That’s soap.’”
The Arkansas native said the detergent left his chest burning and caused damage to his nipples, though the injury was not serious enough to affect his fight week preparations.
Mitchell Praises Victor Henry and Josh Barnett
Mitchell was originally scheduled to face Victor Henry before the veteran bantamweight withdrew due to a knee injury. Despite the change, Mitchell spoke highly of Henry and his coach Josh Barnett for keeping him informed throughout the process.
“I’ve only talked to Josh once, he messaged me right when Victor got hurt,”
“He said, ‘Hey, Victor can’t take the fight. His knee is just totally torn.’”
Mitchell added that he appreciated the honesty from both men and continues to wish Henry a speedy recovery as he prepares to face Luna at UFC Vegas 118.
Watch the full press conference here
What to expect from the bout
Bryce Mitchell enters his bantamweight bout against undefeated short-notice replacement Santiago Luna as a moderate -145 favorite, with Luna sitting as a +120 underdog. “Thug Nasty” will have to rely on his veteran experience to avoid early striking traps, and drag the 8-0 prospect into deep waters where his elite jiu-jitsu can take over.
Read our full predictions for the fight here.