UFC fans troll with Flat Earth jokes after Dan Ige claims he's fighting Bryce Mitchell at "168 lbs"

Fans are perplexed by Dan Ige's claim that he will face Bryce Mitchell in a weight class beyond the UFC's standard divisions in his next bout. Mitchell is a staunch proponent of the Flat Earth theory, which is referenced humorously in Ige's tweet.

Ige came back to winning ways following a three-fight losing skid at UFC Vegas 67 earlier this month. '50K' defeated Damon Jackson by knockout in the second round, which also earned him the Performance of the Night honors. Ige took to Twitter to claim that he will be paired against Bryce Mitchell in his next fight, stating:

"Fighting Bryce Mitchell next 168 lbs."

In the wake of Dan Ige's comments, MMA fans promptly resorted to Flat Earth jokes to mock Mitchell. 'Thug Nasty' is well-known for believing that the Earth is flat and that all the evidence to the contrary is an elaborate government hoax. He is so convinced of his stance that he has dared UFC color commentator Joe Rogan to engage in a debate.

One fan hilariously wrote:

"Is it “168 lbs” because Bryce doesn’t believe in gravity?"

Another fan wrote:

"Wow. Two loses in a row for Bryce Mitchell. Best be careful he doesn’t fall off the edge of the Earth when you kick him."

Yet, some other fans couldn't comprehend why two featherweight contenders would fight at 168 lbs:

"What you mean 168 lbs?"

Check out some of the best reactions below:

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Bryce Mitchell next fight: When can fans expect to see 'Thug Nasty' back in action?

Bryce Mitchell succumbed to a devastating second-round submission loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 282. Having had his unblemished record tarnished, Mitchell hinted towards an early retirement. However, he has cleared the air on those rumors, claiming that he wasn't thinking clearly after the fight.

During a recent interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, Mitchell claimed that he accepted the fight with Ilia Topuria despite having the flu. He added that he "had a couple thousand bucks" in his bank account, and the UFC told him that they wouldn't offer him an opponent until February 2023 if he didn't accept a fight against Topuria.

With all that in mind, Mitchell believes that a couple of months away from the sport will help him recover and come back stronger:

“I’m probably too anxious to get back in, because I probably need to heal myself. I probably took a lot of brain damage in that one. That stuff, I don’t think it ever recovers, but a couple months would definitely help."

Fans can anticipate Bryce Mitchell's next fight to take place this summer, although no opponent has been confirmed as of yet:

“I feel like I could do better right now. I’d love to prove it, but I’m going to wait until I run out of money again and then I’m going to take another fight. But I’ll be out of money, shoot, it will probably be by summer.”

Check out Mitchell's interview below: