Bryce Mitchell thanks UFC 296 opponent Josh Emmett for not following up with deadly blows after brutally knocking him out cold in Las Vegas: 'It probably would've killed me'

UFC featherweight Bryce Mitchell expressed his gratitude towards UFC 296 opponent Josh Emmett two days after suffering a brutal knockout in Las Vegas.

The pair opened the UFC's final pay-per-view of the year with Emmett knocking Mitchell out cold in the first round. The right-handed haymaker landed in the three-minute mark as Mitchell fell stiff on the canvas. Moments later, Thug Nasty began having convulsions as UFC medical staff tended to him.

On Monday, a well-recovered Mitchell shared a video on Instagram from his farm in Arkansas. In the clip, he thanked Emmett for not hitting him with what could have been deadly follow up shots. 

'I wanna let ya'll know that I am so happy with Josh Emmet,' Mitchell said. 'Because right after he knocked me out, he could have followed up with the hammer fists and it probably would have killed me.'

'He didn't even follow up with anything,' He continued. 'He was just happy with his knockout and he walked away. I'm so gracious for that and I'll forever remember that.'

Mitchell went on to praise Emmett and his camp Team Alpha Male before reiterating the gratitude. 

'And I love that whole team, that Alpha Male team, I love every single one of you guys,' he added. 'Thank you for not hitting me extra Josh.'

Mitchell accepted the bout on two weeks notice after Emmett's original opponent Giga Chikadze withdrew due to injury.

Mitchell, 16-2, rode the momentum of a decision win over Dan Ige in September as he suffered his second career loss.

On the other hand, Emmett bounced back from a loss to featherweight title challenger Ilia Topuria in June. The win over Mitchell moved Emmett to a 19-4 record with seven knockouts. Emmett also earned a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus from Saturday. 

Both men remained in the featherweight rankings after UFC 296 with Mitchell ranked No 10 and Emmett ranked No 6.