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Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva brawl backstage moments before Hype FC grappling rematch

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Donagh Corby | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 11:47 PM ET

Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva couldn’t wait to get in the ring for their grappling match as they opted to throw hands backstage.

The fiery featherweights have a bitter feud, which appears to have only become more heated since their Miami showdown last year which Silva won decisively when he choked the American unconscious at UFC 314.

Mitchell and Silva are both big characters, and it appears that the former’s politics have riled up the Fighting Nerds star for a long time. They agreed to rematch on tonight’s outlandish Hype FC event, which also featured bare-knuckle boxing and a hastily-arranged fight between a bouncer and a fan.

Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva pulled apart during backstage brawl at Hype FC

There’s obviously no love lost between Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva, but fans were surprised to see the pair got into it just moments before they were due to walk to the ring at Hype FC in Rio. Silva approached his rival to shake hands, and had it slapped away.

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As a result, the pair began to scrap, before being dragged apart by security and teammates. Mitchell could be heard in the footage talking about the bare-knuckle fights that were happening earlier in the evening.

This card is star-studded, with the rematch one of the only showcase bouts that has stayed together. The main event will see Arman Tsarukyan take on undefeated Brave CF champion Muhammad Mokaev, while there is also a bout between Shara Magomedov and Edson Barboza.

Jorge Masvidal was due to compete against ‘Shara Bullet’, but was removed from the show on short notice and replaced by featherweight contender and home fighter Barboza. Likewise, Tsarukyan had been scheduled to rematch Georgio Poullas after their infamous RAF06 brawl.

However, that was cancelled with RAF Wrestling announcing that Poullas would instead get his chance at revenge on their next event on March 28. That show will also feature a match between controversial stars Colby Covington and Dillon Danis in the co-main event.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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