Josh Emmett had just scored the most impressive knockout of his career. But instead of celebrating, he sat silently across the cage.
Emmett (19-4) had just put Bryce Mitchell’s lights out with a violent overhand right. It was less than two minutes into the opening frame of their meeting in the main card opener at UFC 296 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The brutality of the knockout was evident. Mitchell, now 16-2, could be seen convulsing on the canvas moments later. He was still on wobbly legs while being helped out of the Octagon.
What should have been a cause for celebration turned into a somber moment. The knockout was sure to win a “Performance of the Night” bonus from the UFC. It also marked the end of the first losing streak of Emmett’s career.
Emmett, a representative of Team Alpha Male, spoke during the post-fight media scrum. He admitted that only after the initial rush of emotion did he realize the damage he had inflicted on his opponent.
“When I hit him I got excited,” he said. “Then I looked over and he’s still down. It’s hard to celebrate. I just wish him nothing but the best. He has a baby on the way, he’s building a house. We’re all trying to achieve the same thing. I wish no harm on my opponents. But at the end of the day, if it’s him or I, I’m choosing me.”
Emmett confessed he didn’t realize how badly he’d hurt Mitchell at first. “Then I looked over and I see that and I’m like, damn man, I can’t celebrate. It’s tough. Imagine what his coaches are looking at. They’re seeing him in a very vulnerable spot. I can’t even imagine what his family is thinking. So yeah, I wish him nothing but the best. He came back and said he was okay. I just hope he takes some time off. He’s a super talented individual and young, hungry. He’ll bounce back.”