Josh Emmett had seen his knockout of Bryce Mitchell many times, but it gained new attention recently.
In January, Bryce Mitchell became controversial for his podcast where he expressed Nazi sympathies, defending Hitler and denying the Holocaust. UFC CEO Dana White criticized Mitchell, calling him very unintelligent.
Despite his disapproval, White said he wouldn`t punish Mitchell but hoped fans would see him get defeated on television.
This led to Emmett`s UFC 296 knockout of Mitchell becoming viral again.
Emmett mentioned seeing Mitchell trending and people tagging him, referencing the knockout. Emmett stated that Mitchell has always been respectful to him, and he reciprocates that respect. He believes Mitchell needs to be careful with his words due to his public platform.
Mitchell later admitted that Hitler did “evil things” and acknowledged the Holocaust happened. However, this didn`t erase his previous comments, and Emmett recognized that the controversy brought renewed attention to their fight.
Emmett recalled a fan Q&A from years ago where he said he would like to fight Hitler. This resurfaced online and connected with Mitchell`s comments, further boosting the knockout`s popularity.
Emmett stated that “the internet is undefeated” in keeping the knockout in the spotlight, ensuring Mitchell will not escape reminders of it.
Despite disagreeing with Mitchell`s remarks, Emmett holds no personal animosity, as they have always been cordial. He feels no need to create fake conflict.
The knockout was already memorable, but its virality is now inescapable.
Emmett wishes the UFC would promote the knockout more.
Emmett notes the knockout is constantly shared online, with fans creating edits. He feels sympathy for Mitchell, knowing he sees it frequently. This has been ongoing for over a year, and Emmett sees it very often.
Emmett is puzzled why the UFC doesn`t promote his knockout, while they highlight others. He suggests the way Mitchell fell and remained still might be a factor.
Emmett wishes his knockout received the same recognition as other significant UFC knockouts, like Max Holloway`s knockout of Justin Gaethje. He believes the UFC could show his knockout, perhaps omitting the immediate aftermath, similar to how Holloway`s knockout is widely shown.
