Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie, UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Featherweights Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie both returned for UFC 310, making for a somewhat surprising main card matchup.
With names like Chris Weidman and Aljamain Sterling remaining in the qualifiers, only the Mitchell vs. Gracie billing stood out. Then, a year removed, Mitchell, still ranked No. 13 in the 145-pound division, fought an unranked opponent with just seven fights under his belt. Still, Kron Gracie is Gracie, and the idea of some clever exchanges on the mat definitely motivated the matchmakers to book this match.
Within the first minute, both fighters were in a clinch, with Gracie pulling guard. As Gracie looked for an opening, Mitchell started throwing punches in full guard. Each fighter remained in the same position for the remainder of the round as Mitchell pounded Gracie’s body with punches until the bell. Mitchell, an Arkansas native who is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, defended Gracie’s submission threat well throughout the entire five minutes.
To start the second, both fighters traded wild punches, with Gracie pulling her guard again with four minutes left in the round. Once again the fight stalled in full guard as Mitchell maintained his top position. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Gracie threw up his legs for an armbar. Mitchell managed to cope, but found himself in a triangle. Gracie transitions into an armbar that looks very deep again. Mitchell managed to escape the threat and land some ground and pound until the gong. A brutal exchange of grappling in the second round revitalized the Las Vegas crowd.
In the third time, Mitchell landed some big punches before the fight started again. This time, Mitchell positioned himself to slam Gracie after Cron pulled his guard, then delivered a hard elbow that hit him in the temple. Gracie lost consciousness and lay stiff on the ground when the referee stopped the fight. It was a big moment in Mitchell’s career as he returned to the win column after a heartbreaking loss to Josh Emmett. With Cron suffering three straight losses, the legendary Gracie family hasn’t had a serious title contender in the UFC in decades.
Official results: Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie KO (slam and elbow), round 3, 0:39
