Bryce Mitchell reacts to vicious first-round knockout loss against Josh Emmett - "It's hard to hit him"

Hours after suffering one of the worst knockout losses in UFC history, Bryce Mitchell posted his reaction on Instagram.

The 16-2 featherweight did not even wait until the morning after to send out his response video, a two-minute-long narration. Mitchell expressed his regretful approach to the fight and difficulty dissecting Josh Emmett. The 29-year-old also thanked fans for their support and conveyed the gratitude he felt from within the hospital.

In the video, Bryce Mitchell said:

"[It was] just a bad strategy by me tonight. Gosh, Josh hits hard and he's so low to the ground when he throws that overhand right that it's hard to hit him with anything. What can I say? I could've done better but I obviously didn't. I'm so lucky to live the life that I live."

In reference to feeling 'timid' in the fight, Mitchell also encouraged viewers to 'be aggressive' in all aspects of life.

'Thug Nasty' continued to say he was grateful for his life and career after being in the hospital after the bout put his thoughts into perspective. Mitchell said:

"I'm good. It could've been a lot worse. When I was in that hospital I was getting rolled by people with no legs [or] no arms. [Some of their] faces were all messed up with his face turned sideways from a car wreck. So I cannot complain about anything I'm so happy to be here and I'm healthy."

With the loss, Mitchell suffered the first knockout defeat in his career while having also dropped two of his last three fights.

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Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell result

Opening the main card, Josh Emmett started the pay-per-view with one of the most brutal and scary punches ever landed in MMA history.

Emmett knocked out Bryce Mitchell less than two minutes into their fight in practically the first exchange. The single right hand instantly put Mitchell out cold and caused the American to convulse on the floor for almost a minute and nearly suffer a seizure.

Though the crowd reacted to the impressive finish, most were concerned with Mitchell's long-term health once the dust had settled.

With the win, Emmett picked up his first victory in over a year after two consecutive losses against Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria.