Apodaca stuns Bella Mir in all-time Contender Series upset
Five winners, including Apodaca, earn UFC contracts at DWCS 89 in Las Vegas
Alex Apodaca defeated Bella Mir by unanimous decision Tuesday at Dana White's Contender Series 89, an all-time MMA upset that closed the card at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
The featured women's bantamweight bout ended with judges' scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28 for Apodaca, who entered with a 4-1 record. Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, also fell to 4-1.
The decision capped a night in which UFC CEO Dana White awarded contracts to all five winning fighters: Nick Galanti, Ronald Humphrey, Sean Clancy Jr., Guilherme Uriel and Alex Apodaca.
Galanti opened the card with a knockout of Carlos Petruzzella just 35 seconds into the first round of their middleweight bout. He improved to 8-1. Guilherme Uriel needed only 50 seconds to submit Mario Piazzon with a standing guillotine choke in a heavyweight contest. Uriel's record moved to 8-2. Sean Clancy Jr. stopped Gary Balletto by TKO with punches at 3:54 of the second round in their welterweight bout. Clancy Jr. remains undefeated at 9-0. Ronald Humphrey submitted Alexis Miranda with a rear-naked choke at 4:03 of the first round, also at welterweight; White gave Humphrey a standing ovation after the finish, and Humphrey improved to 5-0.
The event was the third week of the 10th season of Dana White's Contender Series, with 10 fighters competing for UFC contracts. It streamed on Paramount+.
In the featured bout, Mir landed takedowns and briefly threatened a choke in the third round, but Apodaca controlled the center, used front kicks and body work, and reversed position late in the first. The unanimous decision was the only scorecard verdict of the night on a card otherwise decided by stoppage.
Why it registered as an upset: Mir arrived as the daughter of a former UFC heavyweight champion and the more recognizable name, while Apodaca, a 4-1 newcomer, took every round on all three cards. With the win, Apodaca joined the four other contract winners leaving the Tuesday-night stage with a UFC roster spot secured.
Reporting by MMA Junkie / USA Today. Read the original report: Dana White's Contender Series 89 results.
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