Professional UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell did not hold back in criticizing the Trump administration over the upcoming Freedom 250 fight event. During a press conference on Wednesday, the 31-year-old fighter expressed his personal views on the matter.
Mitchell's Political Commentary
"I love studying politics. On the political side of things, not the UFC's business, that is — of course, they're gonna say yes to it. But what I think personally is that our government is desecrating its role in society by entertaining sports," Mitchell stated.
The Freedom 250 UFC fight is scheduled for Flag Day, June 14, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 80th birthday. The event has drawn criticism due to the construction of a massive facility on the South Lawn, near the president's ballroom.
Trump's Comments on the Arena
While the UFC arena was intended to be temporary, Trump recently remarked that "maybe we'll never, ever take it down." He drew a comparison to the Eiffel Tower, which was originally meant to be temporary after the World's Fair. "Well, they never took it down," Trump added.
Concerns from UFC Figures
Former UFC fighter and podcaster Joe Rogan, along with UFC CEO Dana White, have raised minor concerns about the outdoor nature of the event. Mitchell, who is not scheduled to fight that night, expressed happiness for those who are competing. "For the UFC, I think it's great. It's beyond great. It's literally the perfect scenario," he said.
However, Mitchell emphasized that the event falls outside the proper scope of government. "Our government is to protect and serve the people, and really should be as minimal as possible. ... When you're doing all of this stuff, hosting sporting events, it's really outside of what the goal of the government was intended to be, because our tax dollars and resources are funding this operation," Mitchell explained.
Clarifying His Stance
The fighter, who sparked backlash last year for calling Nazi leader Adolf Hitler a "good guy," clarified that his opinion is not a criticism of the UFC organization. He described the sporting event as "a once-in-a-lifetime thing" for fighters but stated that "the government should never be hosting sporting events, because there's more room for corruption."
"And we already have a corrupted government," Mitchell added. "And so that's my thoughts on it, is that the government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us."
Mitchell, who once vowed to take a bullet for Trump, came out to condemn the president last year, in part for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
