Bella Mir Set to Fight for UFC Contract on Dana White’s Contender Series
Bella Mir will take the next major step in her promising combat sports career Tuesday night when she headlines Dana White’s Contender Series with a UFC contract on the line.
The 23-year-old Mir will face fellow bantamweight prospect Alex Apodaca on August 25 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The bout serves as the main event of Week 3 of Season 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
For Mir, the opportunity represents a chance to follow in the footsteps of her father, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, while establishing her own identity in the sport.
Bella enters the matchup with an undefeated 4-0 professional MMA record. She has finished three of her four opponents, including a first-round submission of Stephanie Calderon in her most recent MMA appearance in July 2025.
Apodaca, meanwhile, enters the biggest fight of her career with a 3-1 record and a three-fight winning streak. Her most recent victory came via decision over Devon McDonald.
A Unique Combat Sports Background
While Mir is still relatively inexperienced as a professional MMA fighter, her wrestling credentials are already impressive.
Earlier this year, Mir captured the NCAA women’s national championship at 145 pounds, adding another major accomplishment to a résumé that also includes success in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She was also the UFC’s first NIL ambassador when she signed with the promotion as a college athlete in 2023.
Her success across multiple disciplines is one of the reasons Dana White has taken such a strong interest in her career.
White has been involved in Mir’s development for several years and has encouraged her to pursue her education and continue competing in wrestling while developing her MMA career. He has also expressed his belief that Mir has the potential to accomplish something extraordinary across multiple combat sports.
Mir has ambitious goals of her own. In addition to becoming a UFC champion, she hopes to compete at the 2028 Olympics in wrestling and pursue championships in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing.
Heavy Expectations
The hype surrounding Mir has reached another level ahead of Tuesday’s fight.
According to current betting lines, Mir is a massive favorite against Apodaca and has reportedly become the biggest women’s betting favorite in Contender Series history.
But the pressure that comes with those expectations can be significant. Contender Series is designed to test prospects under the brightest spotlight of their careers, and winning alone does not always guarantee a UFC contract. Fighters must impress White and the UFC brass with their overall performance.
Mir understands what is at stake.
After struggling to find opponents on the regional circuit, she said she and White discussed the possibility of competing on Contender Series as a way to accelerate her path toward the UFC.
Now, she has the opportunity she wanted.
A dominant performance could earn Mir a UFC contract and potentially put her on the UFC roster before the end of 2026. Mir has already made it clear that she wants to stay busy and hopes to make her UFC debut as early as November or December.
For a fighter who has already achieved success in wrestling, grappling and MMA, Tuesday night could mark the beginning of the next chapter.
And with Dana White watching closely, Bella Mir has an opportunity to prove that the considerable hype surrounding her is justified.
