"I know that sh*t was rigged" - When Bryce Mitchell seemingly accused UFC of rigging Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski fight for "oil money"

Bryce Mitchell is no stranger to raising eyebrows with his claims and conspiracy theories. In early 2023, he did just that by accusing the UFC of manipulating the outcome of Islam Makhachev's lightweight title defense against then-featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284.

The pair had a closely contested affair, with Makhachev earning the judges' nod with a unanimous decision win. While the result was controversial, Mitchell took it a step further by claiming that the promotion itself was in cahoots with the judges, all for "oil money." In a Fanatics View interview, 'Thug Nasty' said

"Oh, that fight was rigged as f*ck, dude. But, you know, he [Islam Makhachev] brings in all that money from the Middle East. When you're bringing in that kind of oil money and all that Middle Eastern money, bro, like all the richest people in the world, bro, they're all from the Middle East. I guess they just f*cking paid the judges to, you know."

When interviewer James Lynch asked if he thought the win should have been awarded to Volkanovski, Mitchell did not mince words.

"I don't know, but I know Alexander Volkanovski won a decision. I don't think nothing, I know he won and I know that sh*t was rigged. And I'm not f*cking stupid, you can't tell me that sh*t wasn't rigged. I'm not buying it, you can pay the judges whatever the f*ck you were paying. I know Alexander Volkanovski won that fight."

Check out Bryce Mitchell's thoughts on Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 1 (13:38):

While Volkanovski mounted a valiant effort, he failed to convince the judges that he was the victor. To worsen matters, the rematch at UFC 294 couldn't have been more disastrous. Not only was Volkanovski as ill-prepared as ever, stepping in on just 10 days' notice after Charles Oliveira withdrew, but he was also knocked out.

---

Bryce Mitchell wasn't the only MMA fighter who scored the bout for Alexander Volkanovski

Unfortunately for Islam Makhachev, many in the MMA community felt that Alexander Volkanovski beat him at UFC 284, not just Bryce Mitchell. Bantamweight bruiser Marlon Vera was one, as was former UFC star Nate Diaz, who tweeted the following take:

"Yeah right Islam got his a** whooped"

Others who had Volkanovski winning were his training partners and close friends Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker, both of whom sat cageside. The pair had a premature celebration for what they were convinced was a Volkanovski win and were left disappointed when the judges' scorecards were read.