UFC DWCS -6000 favorite Bella Mir suffers her first MMA loss in 6 years to Alex Apodaca in massive upset | International Sports News
Alex Apodaca just pulled off the kind of result that completely flips a fight card on its head. At DWCS Season 10, Week 3, Apodaca walked into the Meta APEX as the massive underdog against Bella Mir. UFC’s official results had Mir listed as a -6000 favorite, so the expectation was pretty clear before the cage door closed. Three rounds later, Apodaca had all three judges on her side. She won 29-28 across the board and left with something even bigger than the win: a UFC contract.
How Alex Apodaca broke down Bella Mir over three rounds
The fight did not turn into an easy night for Apodaca. Mir still managed to land some heavy shots, but Apodaca found ways to make the matchup difficult for her.According to the UFC’s official recap, Apodaca kept switching stances and mixed up her striking rather than giving Mir the same look over and over. Her takedown defense was also a major part of the performance. That kept Mir from relying too heavily on her grappling and allowed Apodaca to keep the fight in areas where she was more effective.Nothing was left to a single dramatic moment. The bout went the entire three rounds, with the judges all reaching the same 29-28 score for Apodaca. That consistency made the result even more striking considering the enormous betting gap coming into the contest.
Bella Mir leaves with first professional MMA defeat
For Mir, the loss changes an unbeaten record she had carried into the fight. She entered DWCS with a 3-0 professional MMA mark and also had an established name in the sport through her father, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.After the decision, Mir dropped to 3-1. Apodaca, meanwhile, moved to 8-1 and turned the biggest opportunity of her young career into a place on the UFC roster.Dana White later confirmed contracts for Apodaca along with Nick Galanti, Ronald Humphrey, Sean Clancy Jr., and Guilherme Uriel.Galanti needed only 35 seconds to earn his contract with a knockout. Clancy Jr. finished Gary Balletto in Round 2, while Uriel submitted Mario Piazzon with a standing guillotine.That leaves Apodaca with a very different kind of result. She did not need a finish. She survived three rounds against a heavily favored opponent, got every judge’s score, and secured her UFC spot in the process.For now, the biggest number beside her name is simple: 8-1. The biggest result is even simpler. Apodaca beat a -6000 favorite and made DWCS history with one of the promotion’s biggest upsets.
