Bella Mir entered Tuesday's Dana White's Contender Series as the largest betting favorite in the show's history. But the event, which gives unsigned fighters a chance to earn a UFC contract on the spot, handed her a hard lesson instead.
Alex Apodaca, an underdog with odds stacked as high as -6000 against her, defeated Mir by unanimous decision. The bout came in the third week of DWCS Season 10, at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
Bella Mir Brought Big Expectations into the Cage
Mir, 23, is the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. She brought an undefeated 4-0 record and an NCAA wrestling title into the cage. Yet none of that translated on fight night. Apodaca stuffed Mir's takedown attempts, bloodied her nose, and dictated the pace from the opening bell through the final round.
After the last horn, Dana White awarded Apodaca the UFC contract.
Alex Apodaca's Upset Shocks MMA Community
"I just truly believe that if I stay present and in the moment, nobody's going to beat me because I'm technical and I'm strong," Apodaca said afterward.
The result quickly drew reactions across the MMA community. Both fighters and analysts called it one of the most lopsided upsets in Contender Series history.
"I've known Bella for a long time," White said to Apodaca post-match. "Four years ago we started mapping out her plan and who she was going to be, and you came in tonight [and changed all of that]."
