Bryce Mitchell recently opened up about moving down to bantamweight for his upcoming fight against Said Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi. Mitchell, who aims for a strong resume in the 135-pound division, claimed that he felt weak in his last octagon outing despite being a featherweight.Mitchell took on Jean Silva in a 145-pound contest earlier this year at UFC 314 and was dominated by the Brazilian, suffering a second-round submission defeat. As per Dana White's latest announcement, 'Thug Nasty' will make his return against Nurmagomedov in a bantamweight bout at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.In a recent interview with James Lynch for Home of Fight, Mitchell revealed that Silva was too strong for him, implying that his energy levels dropped in the second round. As a result, it made him determined to fight at bantamweight.“I pretty much made up my mind right after this last fight. The guy was so much bigger than me, and I really felt it in the second round. In the first round, obviously I could tell he was bigger and strong, but it was really in the second round where I felt it. I think that I’m a 35er, my weight’s already come down quite a bit since I started dieting. I got this call two weeks ago, I think. So, I’m excited about it. Everything’s going good.”Check out Bryce Mitchell's comments below:Mitchell is currently 2-3 in his last five MMA appearances, having lost to Silva, Josh Emmett, and former champion Ilia Topuria. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Vinicius Oliveira at UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this year.When Bryce Mitchell discussed his strong return in a post-fight statementEmerging contender Jean Silva submitted Bryce Mitchell with a stunning ninja choke in the second round at UFC 314 this April.Following his loss, Mitchell took to social media and issued a statement. He expressed gratitude for his well-being and promised to make a strong comeback.''Thank God, he protected me. I didn’t lose my teeth. I don’t got no broken bones. So I feel good about that. I fought as hard as I possibly could. I couldn’t have fought any harder. I could have fought smarter. I’m going to go make some adjustments but I mean he put me to sleep. I had nothing left to give. I’m happy about that, knowing that I tried my best. But I’ve got to get better. That’s just the lesson learned here, I’ve got to get better.''Check out Bryce Mitchell's comments below: View this post on Instagram Instagram Post