UFC president Dana White didn’t hold back when responding to controversial comments made by featherweight fighter Bryce Mitchell, who recently questioned the historical accuracy of the Holocaust and claimed Adolf Hitler was “a good guy” before his meth use.
“I’ve heard a lot of dumb, ignorant shit in my day, but this one’s probably the worst,” White said in front of reporters Thursday in Saudi Arabia, where he is promoting Saturday’s Fight Night event headlined by Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov.
White was reacting to statements Mitchell made during a podcast conversation with former UFC fighter Roli Delgado. Mitchell, currently ranked No. 13 in the UFC’s 145-pound division, suggested that his independent research led him to believe Hitler was a good person before drug use changed him.
“I really do think that before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy to go fishing with,” Mitchell said.
White made it clear that the UFC strongly condemns Mitchell’s remarks.
“Hitler is one of the most disgusting and evil human beings to walk the face of the Earth, and anyone that even tries to take an opposing position is a moron,” White said. “We’ve obviously reached out to Bryce… we are beyond disgusted.”
When asked if the UFC would take disciplinary action, White dismissed the idea of punishment, citing free speech but emphasizing that the organization did not support Mitchell’s views.
“That’s what everybody wants to hear about, punishment. It’s free speech, I don’t have to love it, you don’t have to love it… but for all of you who hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on global television.”
White didn’t stop at condemning Mitchell’s comments—he also questioned the fighter’s intelligence, referencing a well-known incident from 2018 when Mitchell accidentally drilled into his own groin.
“He’s probably one of the dumbest human beings,” White said. “Let’s not forget that this is a guy who took a drill through his nutsack, then had to reverse it and pull the drill back out. That’s the level of stupid that we’re talking about.”
When asked if Mitchell had apologized, White wasn’t convinced.
“His thing was, ‘I’m sorry if I put you guys in any position,’” White said. “He’s stupid. He’s dumb. You can’t fix dumb people. When you have somebody that’s really, really stupid, and that’s what we’re talking about here, what do you do?”
Despite the controversy, Mitchell remains an active UFC fighter. The 30-year-old from Arkansas holds an 8-2 record in the promotion and is coming off a knockout win over Kron Gracie at UFC 310 in December.
His comments, however, have placed him at the center of an intensifying backlash, and with White’s public rebuke, his future in the sport—and among fans—remains uncertain.