Controversial UFC star Bryce Mitchell found himself in hot water once again after defending convicted comedian Russell Brand. The British comedian attended Southwark Crown Court in London for his trial and was convicted of one count of r–e and three counts of s—al assault. At first, the jury announced his guilty verdict on November 5th, followed by his sentence declaration on November 9, 2026. Despite that, Mitchell refused to agree with the jury’s verdict.

“Believe it or not—I’m friends with the Hollywood movie star,” Mitchell said on Instagram. “A lot of ya’ll might know him; his name is Russell Brand. I’m friends with him because we met at a party and our personalities instantly clicked. He’s so sincere and thoughtful…and funny and smart. I couldn’t help but notice him, and I think he actually really likes me.  

“We still talk to this day. He came to the grand opening of my gym. He’s just a friend. I really love him and think really highly of him. He’s been falsely accused of r—e charges in the UK by a corrupted parliament with no evidence.” 

The British comedian Russell Brand’s criminal case was in the court system for over a year. However, the actual trial lasted only four weeks, with the jury convicting him on four of the seven criminal counts against him. The court found Brand guilty of r—ing a woman at his London home after meeting her at one of his shows in 2009. 

He was also convicted of s—ally assaulting three women between 2004 and 2009, in a London bar, a radio station, and a television studio. As a result, Brand was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison. 

Despite the court finding the comedian guilty of the charges, Mitchell firmly believes Brand is innocent.  

“And I know he didn’t r—e anybody… I know he didn’t,” he added on the Instagram video. “The woman that accused him of r—e actually stalked him and begged him for s—x. And the government basically incentivized the entire nation to falsely accuse him so they could falsely imprison him.  But that’s what’s going on. 

“That’s the truth, and I am not ashamed of it… If you don’t like Russell Brand, you don’t have to like me either. I love him because he’s my friend and I proudly believe what he says.”   

Mitchell’s defense goes beyond sympathy. He explicitly rejects the jury’s verdict and alleges the women and UK government conspired and falsely imprisoned Brand

The UFC star mentioned he met Brand briefly at a party. However, he did not disclose the exact timeline of when they actually met. Interestingly, though, both were seen together at a baptism event in clips shared on Instagram.

With ‘Thug Nasty’ coming to the defense of the convicted comedian, this is not the first time he has said something really controversial.

In 2025, Bryce Mitchell drew a ton of backlash after saying Adolf Hitler is a “good guy” on his podcast ArkanSanity. The MMA community slammed the 32-year-old, and UFC president Dana White called his comments “beyond disgusting.” 

As Brand receives support from a controversial UFC star, the rest of the entertainment world is turning against the comedian.

Bear Grylls opens up about Russell Brand’s sentence   

Like many, television star Bear Grylls was one of the supporters of Russell Brand. Grylls had attended the comedian’s baptism a couple of years ago and regarded Brand as a man of faith. But following the comedian’s highly publicized conviction, Grylls finally shared his thoughts.

“Brand’s faith seemed genuine to me at the time when I was a guest at his private baptism,” Grylls wrote on X. “I have attended a few now. Even visiting in prisons with people who have committed terrible crimes. 

“It’s part of our calling as men and women of faith, to love and serve anyone. It is the sick that need healing. Judgement is for the courts and God… I wouldn’t want to ever discourage someone’s coming to faith.”  

In a later post, the Man vs. Wild star said that justice was served and expressed solidarity with the victims.

“It is right that justice has now been served,” Grylls added in a separate post. “I can’t imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day.”  

That said, Mitchell’s take definitely stirred a wave of backlash among fans, and it remains to be seen whether the controversy escalates further.