Bella Mir’s shocking loss in the main event of Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series has sent shockwaves through the MMA world. The daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, the 23-year-old entered the fight as one of the biggest betting favorites in MMA history, with some sportsbooks listing her as high as -6000 against Alex Apodaca.
Apodaca, meanwhile, was available at odds as high as +1700. But the 32-year-old bantamweight proved everyone wrong. Mir was outmaneuvered by Apodaca over three rounds and struggled to impose her wrestling and grappling.
Owing to Mir’s outspoken ambitions before the fight and her goal of becoming the greatest athlete of all time, some detractors were quick to pile on after the stunning upset. As for the bout, Mir started fast, landing a crisp one-two combination and a knee before Apodaca fired back with a sharp right hand.
HUNGRY DOGS FIGHT HARDER 🗣️
Alex Apodaca earns the UD win for the BIGGEST UPSET EVER on #DWCS!
[ LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/v4c0Dc5unF
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 26, 2026
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Mir repeatedly looked for takedowns, but Apodaca’s strong defense kept her upright and allowed her to find success with combinations and teep kicks. Mir eventually secured a takedown late in the opening round, but Apodaca quickly reversed the position and finished the frame on top.
The underdog continued to stuff Mir’s takedown attempts in Round 2 while taking increasing control of the striking exchanges. By the end of the round, Mir was bloodied and struggling to find her rhythm. With the fight seemingly tied heading into the final round, Mir immediately looked to clinch, but Apodaca once again defended.
Mir eventually caught another kick and attempted a single-leg, only for Apodaca to remain standing. With roughly two minutes left, a bloodied and exhausted Mir finally secured a takedown. She took Apodaca’s back and desperately hunted for a submission, but the finish never came.
All three judges ultimately scored the fight 29-28 for Apodaca, handing Mir the first loss of her professional MMA career. Naturally, Dana White had plenty to say about the massive upset during the DWCS 89 post-fight press conference. White admitted that he was heavily invested in Mir’s success after helping guide her career for several years.
He said, “I didn’t struggle a little bit. I was extremely biased coming into tonight. I’ve been close to her for over four years. Four years ago, she came to me, and she wanted to sort of map out her future. I’m the one that talked her into going to college and waiting, get a wrestling background in college, do some great things there, and then come here. You guys all heard what her goals were over the next several years.”
While White was clearly surprised by the result, he also pointed out that massive upsets are part of what makes MMA so unpredictable. He believes the betting line was particularly extreme given that Apodaca had comparable experience coming into the matchup.
White added, “Nobody in this sport is that big of an underdog – ever,” White said. “She didn’t have deep water experience, and now she does. She didn’t fold, she didn’t get stopped, she didn’t quit. This is all part of the game. To come in and just go undefeated, it’s very hard to do in this sport. That’s why when it’s done – it’s why we always talk about Jon Jones. He’s undefeated (except for a disqualification loss).”
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Before the fight, Mir made it clear that simply becoming a UFC champion wasn’t enough for her. She had previously talked about winning titles in the UFC, UFC BJJ and Zuffa Boxing while chasing her much bigger goal of becoming not only the greatest fighter ever, but the greatest athlete of all time.
That road just became a little more difficult after Tuesday’s setback. Still, if White is right, the loss could ultimately become an important part of Mir’s development. At just 23 years old, Mir has plenty of time to bounce back. Now, it will be fascinating to see how she responds to the first real adversity of her professional MMA career.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
