Bella Mir – Syndication Server

Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC champ Frank Mir, scores UFC’s first NIL deal

The UFC is investing in the future of Bella Mir, who is arguably the biggest potential prospect in women’s MMA.

The UFC is investing in the future of [autotag]Bella Mir[/autotag], who is arguably the biggest potential prospect in women’s MMA.

Mir, who is the 20-year-old daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, has come to terms with the promotion to be its first NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) ambassador, the UFC announced on Friday following an initial report from ESPN.

Currently a freshman at the University of Iowa, where she is part of the women’s wrestling team, Mir, will have an opportunity to generate incoming based on endorsements, social media activity and public appearances. Up until recently, NIL deals were banned by NCAA.

“I’m super grateful and I honestly couldn’t be more thankful to Dana (White) and UFC for giving me this opportunity,” Mir said in a statement. “I’m going to make sure I do my best to represent UFC and show the world what I’m all about.”

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Despite her youth, Mir is already 3-0 as a professional MMA fighter. She made her debut as a 17-year-old, racking up wins in Mexico where her age didn’t prevent her from competing.

She took an 18-month break from fighting afterward, though, and in June made her U.S. debut when she submitted Jessica Link-Davis in the first round under the Xtreme Fight Night banner.

Thus far, all three of Mir’s professional fights have taken place in the women’s featherweight division. She won multiple state wrestling championships in Nevada at 144 pounds.

With her father Frank fully invested in her pursuit of combat and claiming Bella will eventually be a world champion, it was a natural fit for the UFC brass to make an early connection and set her up for the future.

“Bella was destined to become a member of the UFC family her entire life, and I’m proud that she’s making history as our first NIL ambassador in one of the best programs at the University of Iowa,” said UFC president Dana White. “She’s a four-time state high school wrestling champion who has won jiu-jitsu tournaments and three professional MMA fights before turning 19. Bella is an incredible role model for young women who are not only looking to get into sports, but also pursue their dreams. She’s on another level, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.”

Former UFC champ Frank Mir targets retirement fight on same card as daughter Bella

MMA legend Frank Mir wants his retirement fight to be a family affair.

[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] wants his retirement from combat sports to be a special moment.

For Mir (19-13), that doesn’t mean making it all about him. He’s not looking for some big selfish moment. In fact, he wants to share the spotlight with his daughter, [autotag]Bella Mir[/autotag].

Mir, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion who hasn’t competed in MMA since a unanimous decision win over Roy Nelson at Bellator 231 in October 2019, is looking to put a bow on his career in 2023.

Nothing would make him happier than to bow out from competition on the same card as Bella, who at 19 is already 3-0 and arguably the biggest prospect in women’s MMA.

As Bella looks to flourish in her own career, her father is taking a critical role as a coach and mentor. Mir, 43, has said his daughter has potential to be greater than he ever was, and he thinks a farewell fight packaged alongside Bella’s next bout would a unique next step.

“Next year, I’m going to go ahead and fight again because I want to fight once on the same card as Bella as my last fight,” Mir told the “Thiccc Boy” podcast with Brendan Schaub. “She can headline the card. I can open it. How many times is that going to happen in history? Barring lightning striking or a car accident or something retarded, Bella is UFC champ, or champ of whatever league she wants to join. It’s a no-brainer.”

Bella made her MMA debut as a 17-year-old. She picked up two wins in two months, but then took an 18-month hiatus while she focused on wrestling competition and other elements of her game. She returned in June and picked up a first-round submission win.

The fourth fight of Bella’s career has yet to be scheduled, but so far she’s shown big potential. Mir said it’s not a question of if his daughter will be great, but exactly how great she will be. In his mind, there’s no ceiling, and he’s ready to throw his full attention behind that following a final retirement bout.

“It’s like me when I look at Bo Nickal,” Mir said. “I’m like, ‘What do you think is going to happen to that guy?’ I’m like, ‘He’s the champion, dude. Lose weight or get a bigger weight class.'”

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Frank Mir dreams of sharing card with daughter, Bella, before MMA retirement

Frank Mir’s big “bucket list” item before MMA retirement is to share a card with his daughter, Bella.

ATLANTA – [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] hasn’t turned his back on MMA now that he’s set to enter his first professional boxing match.

Mir, a former UFC champion, is set to make his in-ring debut Saturday when he meets Steve Cunningham under the Triller Fight Club banner. The heavyweight fight airs on pay-per-view at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Depending on how the fight goes, Mir’s venture into traditional boxing could be one and done. He is signed to Bare Knuckle FC and said he will compete in that organization likely this year, but afterward still has designs on fighting MMA. The motivation is Mir’s daughter, [autotag]Bella Mir[/autotag], who’s gotten off to a strong start to her own MMA career, and it’s her father’s wish to eventually fight alongside her.

“I’m not done with MMA,” Mir told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “Actually before I retire, my dream is to fight on the same card with my daughter. She’s 2-0 now as a pro. She just won nationals. Her wrestling has kind of taken the front seat right now, but as soon as she has a break from that for a little bit, but before I go – luckily I’m a young father and she’s going to be 18 here soon – it looks good in the next three, four years she’ll be fighting in her early 20s and be a champion, and I’ll open for her.”

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Mir said he’s been taken aback by his daughter’s early career success. She won her debut by unanimous decision in October then turned around six weeks later and picked up a first-round submission. She’s currently taking a break to focus on wrestling but will be back soon.

The traction Bella has gained so early on has Mir unsurprisingly enthusiastic.

“She had one of the highest debuts of any MMA fighter I’ve ever seen, especially not coming from any other background,” Mir said. “Brock Lesnar obviously had a huge one, CM Punk, but they were already superstars in the MMA world. But as far as someone who wasn’t an actor or a pro wrestler or somebody coming over from any entertainment world, her debut, it was very strong. It was a pleasant surprise. I couldn’t believe the popularity. At first it made me nervous, the attention she was getting, because I was like, ‘Wow, this a lot to ask somebody to overtake.’ Her mind is extremely solid and martial arts has done well for her.”

Mir doesn’t know when and where the stars will align for him to fight on the same night as his daughter. Father and son Antonio and A.J. McKee have done something similar under the Bellator banner, and both won their fights. Before all is said and done, Mir wants to put his family name in the history books.

“That would probably be it (for my MMA career),” Mir said. “I don’t know if specifically that would be the last fight, but definitely before I retire that’s on the bucket list.”

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Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC champ Frank Mir, books second MMA fight for Dec. 11

Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC champ Frank Mir, is wasting no time returning to action for her sophomore MMA fight.

[autotag]Bella Mir[/autotag] is wasting no time returning to action for her sophomore MMA fight after making a successful debut in October.

Mir (1-0), the 17-year-old daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, is slated to meet [autotag]Alma Cespedes[/autotag] (0-2) in a women’s featherweight matchup at iKon Fighting Federation 4 this month, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie on Friday.

iKon Fighting Federation 4 takes place Dec. 11 at the Marinaterra Hotel & Spa in San Carlos, Mexico. The card streams on UFC Fight Pass.

Mir got her official introduction to MMA at iKon Fighting Federation 2 on Oct. 22, where she earned a unanimous decision victory. She was cornered by her father, who served as her head coach for the bout.

She’ll get some more early career experience against Cespedes, who is winless over two career fights. She hasn’t competed since October 2019, when she lost in a strawweight fight.

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Bella Mir, daughter of Frank Mir, wins pro debut via unanimous decision

The daughter of the former UFC heavyweight champion has her first pro victory under her belt at age 17.

Like father, like daugther.

[autotag]Bella Mir[/autotag], the 17 year-old daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag], earned a victory on Thursday night in her pro mixed martial arts debut.

Mir (1-0) fought [autotag]Danielle Wynn[/autotag] of Georgia, who was also making her pro debut, in the co-feature bout of Ikon FF 2 in Sonora, Mexico.

With her father in her corner for the bout, which was contested in a ring on a combined boxing and MMA show, Mir went to her grappling game early and often and dominated the first two rounds of the 137-pound catchweight fight to earn a unanimous decision on scores of 29-28 across the board.

Mir scored a takedown early in the first round, but Wynn (0-1) did a good job tying her up and neutralizing Mir well enough to keep her from getting much offense from top position. Mir, in fact, came out of the round with a bloodied nose.

By the second, though, Mir started to wear Wynn down with her grappling, and by the round’s final moments was raining down ground-and-pound until Wynn was arguably saved by the bell.

In the third, Wynn did her best to emulate her father, who was known for his submission skills, as she worked for an armbar. Wynn held it off, then managed to turn things around and put together her only sustained offense of the bout. That was enough to get her the round, but not the fight.

“It means so much to me, having my first pro fight and following the footsteps of my dad,” Mir said after the bout, which was streamed live on UFC Fight Pass. “I think the nerves just got me out of my head a little bit just because it was something different and I didn’t know what to expect, but that second and third round I started to get into it.”

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