On Friday, the promotion announced that they have signed an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal with the fighter that will see Mir serve as a brand ambassador.

Bella is the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. The 20-year old, who turned pro in 2020 and has posted a 3-0 record in mixed martial arts, is currently attending the University of Iowa, where she’s a member of the women’s wrestling team.

“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 was quoted as saying in a press release announcing the deal. “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.”

Previously, NIL deals were banned under NCAA regulations. That changed on July 1, 2021, when the NCAA opened the door for all current and future collegiate athletes to earn money from NIL deals.

Terms of Bella Mir’s deal were not disclosed. That said, Mir will now be able to generate income representing the promotion — and the deal strengthens the likelihood that she will become a second generation UFC fighter some day.

It’s also a historic first for the promotion, who have never before announced an NIL ambassador deal.

“I’m super grateful and I honestly couldn’t be more thankful to Dana and UFC for giving me this opportunity,” said Mir regarding the signing. “I’m going to make sure I do my best to represent UFC and show the world what I’m all about.”

The post Bella Mir Signs NIL Ambassador Deal with UFC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Greg Hardy KO’s Vastly Undersized Opponent in Boxing Debut

This one just missed the cut-off for last week’s Sunday MMA Quick Hits column. So you have likely seen this by now, but on the off chance you have not, well, Greg Hardy has transitioned from MMA to midget boxing.

Wait, that’s a regular-sized human being, just one who happens to be dwarfed by Hardy? Well then. The former NFL player and UFC heavyweight had a massive size advantage in the bout at Black Sheep Boxing’s Delray Fight Night IV. While Hardy was making his boxing debut, his wealth of experience in MMA, where striking was his strong suit, gave him a considerable edge against Mike Cook. Cook was outsized, outgunned, and inexperienced in comparison. The result was basically what we all expected.

Greg Hardy by 2nd rd KO pic.twitter.com/QsAnLVhjCY

— Matty Betss (@MattyBetss) October 9, 2022

Frank Mir Wants Retirement Fight on Same Card As Daughter Bella

Former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir hasn’t fought since 2019, but he has at least one fight left in him. And he wants it to come on a card with his daughter, Bella, a top prospect in women’s fighting who is currently 3-0 in MMA.

“Next year, I’m going to go ahead and fight again because I want to fight once on the same card as Bella as my last fight,” Mir said recently on Brendan Schaub’s “Thiccc Boy” podcast with Brendan Schaub (h/t MMA Junkie). “She can headline the card. I can open it. How many times is that going to happen in history? Barring lightning striking or a car accident or something retarded, Bella is UFC champ, or champ of whatever league she wants to join. It’s a no-brainer.”

There Are Front Kicks, and Then There’s This

KSW 75 went down on Friday, and lost its main event just days out from the fight. UFC alum Luis Henrique da Silva made up for that, however, with a front kick KO of former light heavyweight champ Tomasz Narkun.

There are front kicks, and then there's this. #KSW75 pic.twitter.com/3qKeTN5dus

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) October 15, 2022

“Frankenstein” made his promotional debut in the fight, and improved his current streak to three straight wins.

Jose Aldo Says Text from Dana White Saved Son’s Life

Recently retired featherweight legend Jose Aldo has revealed that a particularly well-timed text from Dana White, entirely coincidental, helped save his unborn son’s life.

Aldo had reached out to White seeking permission to compete in other combat sports, including boxing, despite having retired from MMA with one fight left on his UFC deal.

Speaking to MMA Fighting last week, Aldo said that White’s positive response, which he showed to his wife, resulted in her blood pressure spiking — and the ensuing trip to hospital consequently saved the life of Jose Aldo III.

Aldo stated that he “…texted Dana on Thursday, and Dana wrote me back thanking me for everything, saying the UFC was always open for me, the [Performance Institute] and everything I needed. He has great affection for me and my family, he was always very close to us.”

“After that emotional message – it wasn’t a boss talking to his employee, it was two people that like each other –, I showed it to [my wife] Vivianne. She was still pregnant at the time and got emotional, her blood pressure went up and we had to go to the hospital. She [went back for some tests and] was admitted to the hospital on Friday. She had preeclampsia and [the blood pressure] went up after Dana’s message.”

Aspen Ladd says UFC Women’s Featherweights Should Look at Their Options

Aspen Ladd was recently released by the UFC after yet another miss at the scales, trying and failing to make the women’s bantamweight limit for a fight against Sara McMann. It was her third time missing weight in the UFC, with all three occurrences leading to a fight being cancelled.

Speaking to The MMA Hour this past Wednesday, Ladd admitted that she cannot make 135lbs consistently “without dying,” and needed to move up in weight. The UFC, however, doesn’t really have a true featherweight division, and she believes the few fighters competing there should look elsewhere.

“I needed to make the move up, and they don’t have an opportunity at 145,” Ladd said. “They have the weight class, but honestly, if you’re a 145er in the UFC, I would recommend if you can go down, do it, and if not, look at your options. It was time to look at mine.”

Liver Kick Goodness

Muin Gafurov is the new LFA bantamweight champ following LFA 144 on Friday. And my oh my did he win that belt in style.

Your liver may hurt just watching this! #LFA144pic.twitter.com/dHX9540w7J

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) October 15, 2022

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Text From White Saves Jose Aldo’s Son, Frank Mir Wants to Share Card with Daughter appeared first on Cageside Press.

The second generation athlete competed at IKON Fighting Federation 4, and was paired up against the debuting Amanda Quesia. It didn’t take long for “Lady” Mir to get the job done, as she locked up a rear-naked choke on Quesia in the opening round.

Proud pop Frank Mir posted video footage of the victory on social media, which you can view below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIrwfiUnP-u/

Proclaiming his daughter a “chip off the ol’ block,” it’s clear that there’s plenty for Mir to be proud of. At just 17, Bella is a 2-0 fighter. This most recent bout came at featherweight (her debut fight, also for IKON, saw Mir win a unanimous decision at a 137lb catchweight). Given 145lbs is a division in need of names and fresh blood, Bella could have a big future ahead of her. And while it’s still very, very early for her, her first submission win is no doubt a big moment for the fighter.

Frank Mir last competed in the cage at Bellator 231, picking up a unanimous decision win against Roy Nelson.

The post Bella Mir Earns Second Pro Win, First Submission Finish at IKON 4 appeared first on Cageside Press.

iKon Fighting Federation 2 gave Bella Mir the platform to showcase the skills she has earned in her blossoming career in MMA, taking on a women sixteen years her elder in the co-main event spot, which was an added pressure. Bella handled it well and took home her first victory as a pro.

Danielle Wynn, who also was making her pro debut, did well stifling any momentum the young Bella Mir looked to generate in the first round. It wasn’t until the second and third rounds where Mir got her grappling going, using the knowledge coming from her father who was in her corner. She even emulated her father’s submission legacy and attempted an arm bar late in the third.

The skills that Bella possesses at the young age of seventeen are very impressive. As a second-generation fighter, she’ll be one to watch as she moves on in her career.

The post Bella Mir Follows Father’s Footsteps to First Pro Win appeared first on Cageside Press.