Bella Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, will attempt to earn a UFC contract on Contender Series later this month.
Mir (4-0), will face Alex Apodaca (3-1) in a 135-pound bantamweight contest on Aug. 25 inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
The 23-year-old is already a decorated grappler. She won the U23 USA Wrestling National Championship in 2025 and has wrestled at the collegiate level at North Central University and University of Iowa. She has also competed in the UFC BJJ circuit and RAF wrestling. In January 2023, she became the first athlete to ever sign a UFC NIL deal.
Mir made her MMA debut in 2020 and fought three times in 20 months before taking a three-year hiatus to focus on grappling. In her most recent MMA appearance, she recorded a first-round submission in July 2025.
Mir's father remains one of the most influential heavyweights in MMA history. Frank Mir won the UFC championship in June 2004 and became one of the promotion's most popular figures over the next decade. He headlined UFC 100 in July 2009 opposite Brock Lesnar and won by submission in a landmark event for the company. He also holds notable wins over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Mirko Cro Cop and others.
