LAS VEGAS – With UFC CEO Dana White’s support, Bella Mir has lofty aspirations.
Mir submitted Carol Joia in the first round in Wednesday’s UFC BJJ 1 event. The daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir is actively competing in grappling, wrestling and MMA.
Mir is happy to dabble in all forms of martial arts while chasing her Olympic dream – but she wants to be the first to do it as an active UFC fighter should she eventually make her way to the octagon.
“Honestly, if it was up to me, I probably would be doing all of it at the same time like what I am right now,” Mir said during the UFC BJJ 1 post-match press conference. “But I feel like I’ll have a couple of prelim fights for the UFC, and then once 2028 comes around, I’ll be like, ‘Is it OK if I just don’t fight just this year?’ I could see that happening.
“Or, I could see it just wrestling, doing jiu-jitsu and just fighting on UFC Fight Pass, and signing with the UFC right after 2028. It’s also Dana’s call. I’ve had meetings with him a lot about what my future looks like and what he wants me to do, and he pushes college wrestling a lot. He also pushes 2028. He wants me to go down that route, too. It’s just a lot of talking with people close to me about what’s best.”
Mir (3-0) will return to the cage for the first time in more than three years when she takes on Alivia Bierley (2-1) in a bantamweight bout July 27 at Fury Challenger Series 14, which takes place at Imagen Venues in Houston, and streams on UFC Fight Pass.
