Bella Mir may be one of many busiest 22 12 months outdated athletes on the earth.
After scoring a win at UFC BJJ 1in June, her fourth skilled combat is ready for Fury Challenger Collection 14 on Sunday as she returns to MMA for the primary time in over three years. Her absence from combating wasn’t self-chosen however reasonably a necessity as she found out her future in wrestling after beginning out within the powerhouse program at Iowa however practically gave up the game as a consequence of accidents.
“After I went to varsity, the settlement was combat over the summer season after which wrestle all year long,” Mir advised MMA Preventing. “However my first 12 months in faculty, went to Junior Worlds and I used to be having some battle of curiosity with my outdated coaches with combating and coaching different disciplines aside from wrestling. So I transferred to North Central [College] they usually completely cherished and wished me to combat and do jiu-jitsu and compete within the different two sports activities.
“However final 12 months, I really was making an attempt to get a combat. It was actually exhausting for opponents and planning and dates and simply making an attempt to get it scheduled. So I really was planning on having a combat final 12 months. I used to be coaching all summer season. I went to jiu-jitsu nationals and I used to be coaching nevertheless it was exhausting to get an opponent. Lastly this 12 months issues lined up and I’m grateful for [my opponent] accepting the combat.”
The College of Iowa boasts some of the profitable ladies’s wrestling applications within the nation with 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades additionally on that group. Mir discovered success at Iowa however she additionally felt like her physique was betraying her with a number of accidents that simply stored her sidelined for too lengthy.
She was practically prepared to surrender wrestling and simply deal with different fight sports activities however she determined to switch to a brand new faculty — one other standout faculty for ladies’s wrestlers — and that paid off big.
“The principle cause [I left Iowa] for certain was my accidents and having to take care of that each one 12 months,” Mir stated. “I really feel like for me once I see the larger image, I’m like I’m not simply wrestling in faculty for 4 years after which going and having a traditional job or simply wrestling senior stage tournaments internationally.
“I’m going and nonetheless doing all three [sports] so far as I can and MMA/UFC has all the time been my fundamental aim. I want my physique for that.”
Mir really turned to UFC CEO Dana White for recommendation after he signed her as the primary ever athlete to do a reputation, picture and likeness rights take care of the promotion. In fact, she’s nearly been a part of the UFC household since start because of her father Frank Mir, who’s a two-time heavyweight champion and spent 15 years combating there.
She credit White with convincing her to offer faculty wrestling one other attempt.
“I talked with my coaches and Dana White, I’ve conferences with him lots, and he form of was identical to ‘why don’t we switch, let’s simply see in case you want a unique surroundings or possibly it’s your physique and also you’re not meant for wrestling anymore,’” Mir revealed. “I used to be like that’s fairly honest.
“So I transferred and by no means acquired one other harm. I feel it was my surroundings and the coaching. Not each faculty is for each individual. Iowa is a good place. The followers, the ladies, the teammates, the environment, Iowa’s nice. It’s a Division I powerhouse and it simply wasn’t the place for me and North Central is a method higher match.”
Mir completed second at 145 kilos on the 2025 NCAA Ladies’s Wrestling Championships in her first 12 months at North Central and that’s solely serving as motivation for her future endeavors.
She’s clearly going again to varsity however Mir additionally has her sights set on 2028 when the Olympic video games land in Los Angeles. The possibility to symbolize America on the largest stage in athletics with the Olympics in the US is a dream come true, which is why Mir is retaining wrestling on the forefront of her thoughts for the following few years.
“Going to the Olympic trials and making that group, I really feel such as you wrestle at any stage, whose dream is it to not go to the Olympics and go symbolize America on their again and their chest?” Mir stated. “In fact, that’s my aim. Making senior stage groups and profitable world medals for wrestling. That’s all the time been my aim. I’ve all the time wished to only be the most effective I may very well be for wrestling and have these checkmarks throughout all of my targets for wrestling. That’s positively my fundamental focus proper now’s wrestling.”
That stated, Mir remains to be training Brazilian jiu-jitsu a number of occasions per week and he or she’s persevering with to coach in MMA as effectively throughout the wrestling offseason, which is how this upcoming combat acquired scheduled.
“Wrestling is my precedence proper now,” Mir stated. “My subsequent occasion isn’t till Oct. 20-26 in Serbia for U23 Worlds so I’m going to benefit from all this time and I’m going to compete in as a lot MMA and jiu-jitsu as I can and practice and spar as a lot as I can.
“Clearly, I nonetheless practice wrestling. I’m nonetheless doing freestyle as a result of I don’t wish to lose that for October and clearly my aim is for 2028 however no positively wrestling is for certain my No. 1 [sport] for now as a result of I really feel like once I’m older, I’m not going to wish to wrestle anymore as a result of wrestling is so exhausting in your physique.”
Whereas wrestling is taking over the majority of her time proper now, Mir admits that her want to hitch the most effective fighters on the earth within the UFC is unquestionably getting exhausting to disregard.
She stays in fixed contact with White and all the time receives recommendation from her father so far as her profession is worried however Mir doesn’t low cost the chance that she begins combating within the UFC earlier than her wrestling profession is completed.
“I really feel like after UFC BJJ 1, it’s made me assume lots about how I need my timing to be going into the UFC,” Mir stated. “As a result of I thought of possibly as soon as I’m graduated from faculty, possibly I begin doing UFC fights, possibly simply Contender Collection or possibly prelim fights, possibly that may very well be my contract. Me and Dana have such a detailed relationship and I do know he’s going to advise what’s finest for me. I do belief him and he’s been working with me for a very long time.
“However I’ve thought of doing that, I’ve thought of possibly ready till 2028 if I wish to combat within the UFC and I simply preserve having UFC Struggle Move fights over the summers or simply every time I can, when it’s not throughout wrestling season. I’ve been going forwards and backwards after UFC BJJ 1, simply making an attempt to determine how I need my timing to be.”
Mir says having White in her nook has been an enormous profit as she makes these main selections about her athletic future. Till additional discover, Mir nonetheless ranks wrestling as her No. 1 sport for now however she is aware of it’s solely a matter of time earlier than MMA turns into her sole focus.
“I actually couldn’t be extra grateful the place I’m in,” Mir stated. “The best way the UFC helps me and Dana, what extra may you ask for? Generally it chokes me up once I’m sitting there and I’m seeing one thing on Instagram, I’m simply so grateful and I couldn’t have requested for a greater alternative than having the UFC work with me and assist me and Dana and all of the employees part of the UFC.
“I really feel like [wrestling] would be the first sport I retire from since you don’t see many 40 12 months olds wrestling that you simply do in jiu-jitsu and MMA. I actually wish to benefit from my youth and take benefit [that] I’m in a very great place proper now making the finals for collegiate nationals for NCAA’s and the U.S. Open. I really feel like I’m proper there with these prime ladies. I really feel like I’m getting higher yearly.”
