Bella Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight Frank Mir, is set to make her professional mixed martial arts debut in the UFC's Dana White's Contender Series, taking on Alex Apodaca in a women's bantamweight bout.
Mir, a 23-year-old grappling standout, has been undefeated in MMA (4-0) and plans to eventually become a UFC champion. She's had a successful collegiate wrestling career, winning the NCAA wrestling 145-pound title earlier this year.
The Contender Series bout, which headlines a five-bout fight card at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, is a significant step for Mir, who is looking to transition from amateur to professional competition. "The goal was to always transition eventually to the UFC," Mir told MMAFighting. "I just got back from college and had my meeting with Dana [White] and I was just like telling him that it's really hard to get me fights under like UFC Fight Pass and like these smaller shows."
Mir's amateur career has been impressive, with a strong background in wrestling. Next month, she'll attempt to defeat 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades and secure a chance to compete for the United States at the World Wrestling Championships in Kazakhstan later this year.
The Contender Series is a platform for up-and-coming fighters to showcase their skills and potentially earn a UFC contract. Mir is confident in her abilities, saying, "I don't want to go for just world titles. I want to go for a legacy. I want to be legendary. I just want to shoot for the highest I could get."
With a strong wrestling background and an undefeated record in MMA, Mir is a fighter to watch in the women's bantamweight division. Her ambitions are clear: she wants to be the best athlete of all time, not just the best MMA fighter.
Mir's UFC debut against Apodaca will be a test of her skills against a seasoned opponent. The Contender Series bout will be broadcast on Tuesday, with the outcome potentially determining her future in the UFC.
Source: Yahoo Sports