Bryce Mitchell has revealed that his dreams have been plagued by demonic visions leading up to his upcoming fight at UFC 314, where he will face an opponent he believes is possessed by such forces.
Since the UFC 314 press conference on March 7 in Las Vegas, Mitchell (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) has struggled with sleepless nights, claiming that the devil and his demons have been challenging his resolve as he prepares for his bout against Jean Silva. The highly anticipated fight is set for April 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
On Monday, Mitchell made a public request for prayers from his fellow Christians as the pay-per-view event draws near.
“Good morning, y’all,” Mitchell said in a video posted to social media. “I need all my Christian warriors to pray for me that I will have peaceful sleep. Every single night since the day before the press conference, I’ve had demonic dreams. Legions of demons are attacking me every single time I sleep, and not one time have I seen any peaceful sleep since that day.
“These demons surround me, and they try to fight me and provoke me to anger, and then the dream will switch, and they’ll send beautiful women, and they’re trying to get me to lust, to cheat on my wife. Satan’s using two of my weaknesses to try to expose the evil in my own heart, which is anger and lust. However, where I am weak, the Lord is strong.”
During the press conference, Silva (15-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) interrupted Mitchell’s response to the first question, opting instead to lead the crowd in a chant of “f*ck Bryce Mitchell.” He also taunted his opponent by holding up a globe, mocking Mitchell’s belief that the Earth is flat.
Silva’s behavior was likely a reaction to comments Mitchell made on the debut episode of his new podcast, where he referred to Adolf Hitler as a “good guy.” Mitchell later issued a statement attempting to clarify his remarks, insisting that he is “definitely not a Nazi.”
The crowd at the press event rallied behind Silva and his provocative actions.
In addition to the troubling dreams he's been having, Mitchell believes that the demons haunting him have also taken control of Silva. He plans to “knock them out” when they face off in the Octagon in Miami.
“I’m not just fighting a man on April 12,” Mitchell said. I’m fighting a man possessed by a legion of demons. When I simply said the name Jesus, he was provoked to maliciousness, and he started barking like a dog and chanting ‘F-you, f-you, f-you.’
“Remember guys, the days of fighting for myself are long gone. I now fight for the name of the Lord and the devil, he ain’t gonna waste his time trying to plauge a loser. He knows that a victory for the Lord is at hand. I will win this fight in the name of Jesus Christ. The man’s demons will be casted out of my presence and he will fall before me just as Goliath fell before King David.”
Silve responded to Mitchell's claims via social media, as he said: "Bryce, two things. These are not demons. It's just you being afraid to face me and second about the beautiful women you have a hormone called testosterone and you probably have problems with it. Just be ready for April 12th, because I will be".
