You Need to Lose This Time So You Can Win The Next Round (2022) Drawing by Anton Terziev

Anton Terziev’s latest black-and-white acrylic portrait, *You Need to Lose This Time So You Can Win the Next Round 2*, delivers a riveting depiction of the controversial mixed martial arts fighter Bryce Mitchell. With vigorous brushstrokes and stark tonal contrasts, Terziev captures the ferocity and raw intensity of a figure deeply entrenched in the physical and psychological demands of combat sports. In doing so, he situates this work within a broader lineage of portraiture that examines strength, vulnerability, and the paradoxes of heroism.
Throughout art history, athletes and warriors have served as compelling subjects, symbolizing ideals of endurance, discipline, and confrontation. From ancient Greek sculptures of boxers to the Romantic depictions of gladiatorial struggle, physical combat has often been portrayed as a crucible of human will. Terziev’s portrait resonates with this tradition, emphasizing the heightened emotional and physical stakes of contemporary MMA fighting.
Portraiture traditionally seeks to convey not only a subject’s likeness but also their psychological essence. In this piece, the artist channels Mitchell’s combative persona—complete with the sweat, adrenaline, and unyielding focus typical of the cage. Yet Terziev’s interpretive approach hints at a deeper narrative: the fighter as both aggressor and vulnerable participant in a larger spectacle.
Terziev’s acrylic application is energetic and deliberately rough, layering strokes of black and white in a way that mimics the frenetic motion of an MMA match. The paint handling is reminiscent of Expressionist portraiture, wherein the spontaneous mark-making communicates the subject’s psychological tension. Shadows and highlights clash with little blending, reflecting the immediacy of the fight environment.
By eschewing color, Terziev underscores the stark realities of combat—stripping away distractions to focus on form, contrast, and raw emotion. The monochromatic scheme amplifies the tension between light and dark, life and danger, triumph and defeat. This choice also connects the piece to the graphic qualities of ink drawing and printmaking, mediums historically employed to capture intensity and drama.
The tight framing on Mitchell’s visage centers the viewer’s attention on his eyes and mouth—arguably the most expressive elements in a moment of conflict. Here, the swirling lines around his cheeks, brow, and jaw convey both exhaustion and determination. The rough texture heightens the sensation of sweat, grit, and the physical toll exacted by the sport.

Terziev’s choice of title implies a cyclical process of defeat and victory—a concept that resonates powerfully in the world of combat sports. The piece suggests that moments of failure or adversity become catalysts for eventual triumph, a theme as old as storytelling itself. By linking the image to this phrase, Terziev elevates the portrait from a mere depiction of a fighter to a reflection on resilience, perseverance, and personal evolution.
Bryce Mitchell’s public persona—marked by intense fighting style and controversial opinions—adds another layer to the artwork’s tension. Although the painting does not directly address Mitchell’s controversies, the sheer force of Terziev’s mark-making hints at a subject who thrives in extremes, both physically and ideologically. The portrait can thus be read as an inquiry into the broader cultural fascination with warriors and anti-heroes.
Despite its boldness, the portrait also contains a degree of vulnerability. The distressed textures around the eyes and mouth, the slightly parted lips, and the chaotic patterning of hair suggest a man caught in the throes of conflict—revealing a fleeting moment between triumph and collapse. This duality of strength and fragility underscores the universal human condition, even within the specialized arena of MMA.
The aggressive, tactile quality of Terziev’s brushstrokes and the emphasis on emotional intensity recall elements of Expressionism (e.g., works by Max Beckmann or Oskar Kokoschka) and the gestural dynamism of Action Painting (Jackson Pollock’s free-form energy, albeit with a more figurative focus). The result is a hybrid style that merges figurative representation with bold, gestural abstraction.

Contemporary portraiture often seeks to unmask or dissect its subject, highlighting psychological complexity over idealized representation. Terziev’s painting fits within this paradigm: the sitter is neither lionized nor vilified, but presented as a multifaceted figure whose physical presence and mental resolve merge into a singular, visceral moment.
“You Need to Lose This Time So You Can Win the Next Round 2” transcends the typical bounds of sports portraiture by emphasizing the emotional and existential stakes of combat. In black and white acrylic, Anton Terziev channels the tension of the fight world, capturing both the power and precariousness of a controversial MMA fighter poised between defeat and redemption. The painting resonates with a rich historical legacy of representing athletic struggle, while simultaneously engaging modern questions about identity, resilience, and the cultural allure of conflict. Through bold, gestural brushstrokes and a stark monochromatic palette, Terziev invites the viewer to confront the raw essence of human competition—and to glimpse the fragile, determined soul behind the fighter’s clenched jaw and fierce gaze.


Part of No Time For Losers series of drawings, object, photography and paintings (2019-)
Photo the artist
fotomaterial used: Bryce Mitchell vs Ilia Topuria, UFC 282, 2023

Related themes

Mixed Martial ArtsUfcMmaFighterBryce Mitchell