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Mitchell will put his perfect 14-0 record on the line when he faces former Ring of Combat champion Edson Barboza in a UFC 272 featherweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 27-year-old Barata MMA product has gone the distance in four of his five Octagon appearances. Mitchell last competed at UFC Fight Night 181, where he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Team Alpha Male mainstay Andre Fili on Oct. 31.
As Mitchell approaches his high-risk, high-reward encounter with Barboza, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He rose out of the Land of Opportunity.
Mitchell was born on Oct. 4, 1994 in Cabot, Arkansas—a Little Rock suburb of some 25,000 people. He shares a hometown with Terri Lea Britt, the first woman from The Natural State to win the Miss USA pageant. Britt was crowned in 1982 and went on to finish as the fourth runner-up for the title of Miss Universe.
2. He paid attention to his studies.
“Thug Nasty” graduated from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. Among the school’s notable alumni: “Duck Dynasty” star Willie Robertson.
3. Reality television introduced him to a wider audience.
Mitchell appeared on Season 27 of “The Ultimate Fighter”—he was the second featherweight chosen by Daniel Cormier—and reached the semifinals of the competition before submitting to a third-round rear-naked choke from Brad Katona. SBG Ireland’s Katona went on to defeat Jay Cucciniello in the 145-pound final.
4. He finds strength in the gentle art.
“The Ultimate Fighter 27” semifinalist holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Nine of his 14 career victories have come by submission, including the second successfully executed twister in UFC history. Mitchell put away Matt Sayles with the rarely used maneuver in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 7 pairing on Dec. 7, 2019.
5. World-class skills have already brought him gold.
Mitchell laid claim to the V3 Fights featherweight championship in 2017, when he submitted Isaac Ware with a rear-naked choke in just 90 seconds. He successfully defended the title on one occasion—he took a unanimous decision from Jose Mariscal five months later—before he made his way to the UFC.