Bella Mir, the daughter of former UFC champion Frank Mir, has made history.
Mir, a current University of Iowa freshman wrestler, is the first NIL ambassador to be signed by the UFC. The promotion announced a deal with the Hawkeye wrestling program earlier this year.
“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,” UFC President Dana White said. “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.”
Mir captured four high school wrestling titles in Nevada before joining Iowa. She ranked sixth nationally in the 144 lbs. division and was a 2021 USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle National Champion.
A decorated jiu-jitsu practitioner, Mir also won the 2022 American National Jiu-Jitsu and 2021 International Jiu-Jitsu Con Championships.
“I’m super grateful and I honestly couldn’t be more thankful to Dana and UFC for giving me this opportunity,” Mir said. “I’m going to make sure I do my best to represent UFC and show the world what I’m all about.”
As a combat sports athlete, she made her professional MMA debut on October 10, 2020, securing a unanimous decision victory while competing as a member of iKon Fighting Federation. She is currently 3-0 and was named the 2022 Female Fighter of the Year by UFC Fight Pass, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports.
