Sean Strickland slams UFC after fighter Bryce Mitchell asks social media for free medical help

Bantamweight fighter Bryce Mitchell’s public request for free medical attention after breaking his nose in training has exposed what many fighters say is a significant gap in UFC health insurance coverage. On Tuesday, October 29, 2025, Mitchell took to social media to ask everyone in his hometown of Searcy, Arkansas, for help in resetting his broken nose after local doctors quoted him $2,000 for the procedure.

UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell has to beg for free medical help after breaking his nose

In an Instagram video posted that morning, US-born Mitchell appeared visibly distressed, his nose visibly misaligned with tissues stuffed into his nostrils to stop the bleeding. He explained the financial burden underlying his unusual request. “Dude, the doctors are so expensive. They cost like $2,000 or something just to tickle my nose,” Mitchell said in the video. “Can someone please, by the grace of Go, straighten my nose for free? If you could fix my nose for free in Arkansas right now, just message me and I’ll probably go to you instead of the doctor because this is probably going to cost thousands of dollars.”

The videa and Mitchell’s caption read: “Can someone please help me? Can a doctor reset this for me? I don’t have health insurance, I’ll pay cash if you want cash” quickly circulated on social media platforms. What started as a local cry for help quickly caught the attention of former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who responded publicly on Instagram with sharp criticism aimed at the promotion itself.

“Well I was wrong… you must have booked a fight to get medical attention from the UFC lmao what a joke,” Strickland commented.

Since 2011the UFC has offered all fighters under contract up to $50,000 annual in accidental injury cover and separate event-related medical cover for fight night injuries. However, this insurance specifically applies to injuries sustained during sanctioned fights, official UFC-sanctioned training camps, or accidental injuries that would prevent a fighter from competing for his scheduled purse. Injuries that occur during personal training sessions outside the direct supervision of the promotion fall into a gray area. The situation raises questions about whether fighters like Mitchell, who trained independently rather than at a UFC-sanctioned camp ahead of a scheduled fight, are eligible for coverage.

Mitchell’s situation occurred while he was not actively preparing for an upcoming fight. He had fought as a bantamweight against Said Nurmagomedov at UFC on ABC 9 on July 26, 2025 and won by unanimous decision. The gap between his last fight and his nose injury meant he trained on his own schedule, without the protection of a fight-specific medical scheme.

Strickland’s criticism followed his previous comments about the fighter compensation. Earlier in October 2025, he had criticized the UFC’s approach to fighter pay, noting that the promotion pays low base salaries, typically $10,000 to show and $10,000 to win for less established fighters, while signing billion-dollar broadcast deals.

Mitchell’s situation eventually resolved itself. The fighter posted an update about it social media expressing gratitude and confirming that he was doing well. “I’m doing great. Thanks for being ready to suit when they call, don’t worry, the show must go on,” he wrote. Reports indicate that Mitchell has found local help to resolve his injury without paying professional medical fees, although specific details about who provided the help have not been released.