Rising star Bryce Mitchell is told to shut up and stick to sports because of his outspoken political views

• Bryce Mitchell returns Saturday to the Octagon for the toughest test of his MMA career to date.
• He has in the past pushed wild conspiracy theories.

LAS VEGAS — Rising UFC star Bryce Mitchell is unafraid of sharing his outspoken political views, even if it means he's been told to "shut up and stick to sports" because of it.

The unbeaten 27-year-old grappler in 2020 claimed, without evidence, that coronavirus was made by the US government in a lab so that they could "take our guns."

"It wouldn't surprise me if a show went down," he said at the time. "I'm talking about everybody shooting everybody."

Speaking to reporters at a media event Insider attended Wednesday, Mitchell claimed "the Federal Reserve is a corrupt institution," that the US government controls him, and that he'll never shy away from speaking about it.

"I want to talk about things that are political, but I want to do it in a respectful manner and not to make people think that I think that they're stupid.

"I want to share my beliefs, hear other people's beliefs, and maybe their beliefs can sway mine. Maybe not. Maybe I can out-debate them."

A fight involving Brazilian striker Barboza is the toughest test of the unbeaten 27-year-old grappler's career so far.

But despite the magnitude of the occasion, Mitchell said, "this fight shit is so minuscule in life."

He said: "You have people out there oppressed by governments. Shit. We fall into that category, believe it or not, if you want me to get real political.

"You know the Federal Reserve is a corrupt institution. There, I went out and said it. These people control our dollar, brother, and we didn't vote for them. Think about it. You got board members voting on the value of the dollar.

"Did we vote for that? It's corrupted, so … for me to be able to talk about something greater than fighting is more purposeful than talking about anything related to fighting. And so I'm grateful to be able to do that."

Mitchell continued: "People say, 'Shut up and fight.' You know what I mean? You know what? If you don't want to hear that shit, turn the TV off and just watch the fight. You don't got to watch my interviews. Turn them off then."

The No.11-ranked contender said people should be active in conversations about government or "idiots are going to control everything we do, and we won't have a say in it."

He said: "So, yeah, I'm political because these people control me, and then you tell me I can't talk, and I have to 'Shut up and fight.'

"I'm controlled completely by the government and the value of the dollar. I get paid in dollars, okay? I don't get paid in pure gold. In my opinion, I have a say in political issues."

Fighting is a 'religious experience' for Mitchell

Mitchell's 145-pound contest against Barboza is one of five main card UFC 272 contests broadcast on ESPN PPV. There are 13 bouts in total.

Despite Mitchell's ascendancy in the fight game, the process, he says, differs little from when he got into scraps as a boy.

"You get the same feel for a fight I've had since I fought people at the bus stop when I was a kid," said Mitchell.

"Now, when I go through these processes, it feels like a religious experience. I feel an overwhelming sense of purpose and passion for what I'm able to do, and I feel so blessed to be there and happy I'm healthy enough to put on a show for y'all and so happy people want to see me.

"I feel appreciated, and it feels amazing."