I first contacted David Mitchell on August 23rd, 2018. I wanted to interview him for my story about the infamous “Uh vai morrer” chant.
I had identified David, who fought Paulo Thiago in Rio at UFC 134, as the first foreign fighter to ever be targeted with that now ubiquitous MMA taunt.
After messaging a number of David Mitchells, I eventually found the right one on Facebook. His profile was sparse, guarded. There were a handful of photos; a sunset, some farming equipment, lots of flowers. A corresponding Instagram account showed chickens and dogs.