UFC CEO Dana White Blunt After -6000 Favorite Bella Mir Loses on DWCS

Dana White and Bella Mir had remained close for the better part of four years before Mir appeared on DWCS on Tuesday.

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Following Week 3 of Dana White's Contender Series from the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, UFC CEO Dana White met the media again Tuesday night following a chaotic night of action that saw White sign all five winners to UFC contracts. This included women's bantamweight main event winner Alex Apodaca, who took a unanimous decision over Bella Mir, a -6000 betting favorite, in the biggest upset in the show's history.

Apodaca's relentless pace was too much for Mir, the daughter of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir, to overcome. After a slow-paced opening round, Apodaca's distance management, pace, and striking ability were enough to keep Bella Mir off balance, as a bloody nose and long-winded grappling exchanges showed noticeable signs of inexperience from the Las Vegas native.

White told reporters that he was openly biased toward Bella Mir before her DWCS fight, admitting that the pair's working relationship meant he encouraged Bella Mir to go to undergrad, where she would eventually complete her Sport Management degree at North Central College.

Bella Mir had previously enrolled at the University of Iowa before transferring to the Illinois-based university in Aug. 2024.

White said Bella Mir's setback is not the end of the world, and that betting odds can be misconstrued before pundits eventually break down a fight in plain terms.

Dana White Weighs In on Bella Mir Upset

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"I don't think anybody on this show [should be a big favorite]," White said. "We've talked about this many times. If you're a sports bettor, this is the greatest show in the world. Literally spread a couple grand across [all fights]. That fight [Mir vs. Apodaca] would have paid for your whole year gambling."

Ultimately, White said he is open to what Bella Mir wants to do next, as she is also an active participant in UFC BJJ.

"That's up to her and her father," White said. "I think [the fight] was a little bit of everything. To come in as such a huge favorite, and, again, I think [Michael] Bisping absolutely nailed it. You know, the difference in this fight is Alex had deep water experience [in MMA] and Bella didn't."

With White's openness to let Bella Mir regroup from the loss, his focus has now shifted to seeing when Apodaca's momentum can keep building toward her UFC debut. Apodaca told UFC color analyst Laura Sanko that she'd like her first fight to be before the end of the year.

Dana White Non-Committal on Bella Mir's Immediate Future

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Simply put, White was neutral about Bella Mir's performance.

"That's part of the game," White said.