Bella Mir could be one of many busiest 22 12 months outdated athletes on the planet.
After scoring a win at UFC BJJ 1in June, her fourth skilled battle is about for Fury Challenger Sequence 14 on Sunday as she returns to MMA for the primary time in over three years. Her absence from preventing wasn’t self-chosen however somewhat a necessity as she found out her future in wrestling after beginning out within the powerhouse program at Iowa however almost gave up the game resulting from accidents.
“After I went to varsity, the settlement was battle over the summer time after which wrestle all year long,” Mir informed MMA Preventing. “However my first 12 months in school, went to Junior Worlds and I used to be having some battle of curiosity with my outdated coaches with preventing and coaching different disciplines aside from wrestling. So I transferred to North Central [College] and so they completely beloved and needed me to battle 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 battle. It was actually arduous for opponents and planning and dates and simply making an attempt to get it scheduled. So I really was planning on having a battle final 12 months. I used to be coaching all summer time. I went to jiu-jitsu nationals and I used to be coaching nevertheless it was arduous to get an opponent. Lastly this 12 months issues lined up and I’m grateful for [my opponent] accepting the battle.”
The College of Iowa boasts probably the most profitable ladies’s wrestling packages within the nation with 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades additionally on that workforce. 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 almost prepared to surrender wrestling and simply give attention to different fight sports activities however she determined to switch to a brand new college — one other standout school for girls’s wrestlers — and that paid off big.
“The primary motive [I left Iowa] for positive was my accidents and having to take care of that every one 12 months,” Mir mentioned. “I really feel like for me after I see the larger image, I’m like I’m not simply wrestling in school 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 objective. I would like 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 preventing there.
She credit White with convincing her to offer school wrestling one other attempt.
“I talked with my coaches and Dana White, I’ve conferences with him rather a lot, and he type of was similar to ‘why don’t we switch, let’s simply see for those who want a special setting 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 truthful.
“So I transferred and by no means received one other harm. I feel it was my setting and the coaching. Not each college is for each individual. Iowa is a superb place. The followers, the women, the teammates, the ambiance, 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 prospect 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 conserving wrestling on the forefront of her thoughts for the following few years.
“Going to the Olympic trials and making that workforce, 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 mentioned. “In fact, that’s my objective. Making senior stage groups and successful world medals for wrestling. That’s all the time been my objective. I’ve all the time needed to only be the most effective I might 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 mentioned, Mir remains to be practising Brazilian jiu-jitsu just a few occasions per week and she or he’s persevering with to coach in MMA as nicely throughout the wrestling offseason, which is how this upcoming battle received scheduled.
“Wrestling is my precedence proper now,” Mir mentioned. “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 prepare and spar as a lot as I can.
“Clearly, I nonetheless prepare wrestling. I’m nonetheless doing freestyle as a result of I don’t wish to lose that for October and clearly my objective is for 2028 however no positively wrestling is for positive my No. 1 [sport] for now as a result of I really feel like after I’m older, I’m not going to wish to wrestle anymore as a result of wrestling is so arduous in your physique.”
Whereas wrestling is taking over the majority of her time proper now, Mir admits that her need to affix the most effective fighters on the planet within the UFC is unquestionably getting arduous 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 preventing within the UFC earlier than her wrestling profession is completed.
“I really feel like after UFC BJJ 1, it’s made me assume rather a lot about how I would like my timing to be going into the UFC,” Mir mentioned. “As a result of I considered possibly as soon as I’m graduated from school, possibly I begin doing UFC fights, possibly simply Contender Sequence or possibly prelim fights, possibly that might 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 considered doing that, I’ve considered possibly ready till 2028 if I wish to battle within the UFC and I simply maintain having UFC Combat Cross fights over the summers or simply each 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 would like my timing to be.”
Mir says having White in her nook has been an enormous profit as she makes these main choices 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 truthfully couldn’t be extra grateful the place I’m in,” Mir mentioned. “The way in which the UFC helps me and Dana, what extra might you ask for? Typically it chokes me up after 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 help me and Dana and all of the workers 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 just do in jiu-jitsu and MMA. I actually wish to benefit from my youth and take benefit [that] I’m in a very great spot 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 high ladies. I really feel like I’m getting higher yearly.”
