This week’s Dana White’s Contender Series saw a dramatic ending as +1200 underdog Alex Apodaca defeated UFC legend Frank Mir’s daughter, Bella Mir, to earn her UFC contract in one of the biggest upsets in the show’s history. However, the drama didn’t end when the judges’ scorecards were read. It spilled outside the Octagon, with Bella’s mother, Jennifer Mir, blasting Apodaca following her daughter’s defeat.
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Taking to social media, the UFC legend’s wife claimed that the Texas native had “lucked out” and suggested that the judges had favored Apodaca during the fight. Her comments quickly drew backlash from fans, prompting Jennifer Mir to reconsider her reaction and apologize to the 32-year-old.
“I reacted purely as an emotional and protective mother after seeing my daughter go through a hard loss, and I let alcohol and adrenaline get the better of me,” Jennifer wrote. “However, that is ZERO excuse. I want to sincerely apologize to Alex Apodaca, her team, the judges, and the fans. Alex fought a brilliant fight and earned that win fair and square and deserves nothing but respect.”
With Jennifer Mir’s apology, it appeared the controversy would finally be put to rest. However, Sean Strickland soon entered the conversation and reignited the debate. The UFC middleweight champion initially shared his thoughts on Bella Mir being coached by her father, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir.
“Your dad shouldn’t be your coach, your boyfriend shouldn’t be your coach, your husband shouldn’t be your coach,” Strickland wrote on X. “That should be the first rule of MMA.”
One fan then asked Strickland whether Bella’s mother, Jennifer Mir, could coach her instead. The question prompted a blunt response from ‘Tarzan.’
“Women can’t be coaches,” Strickland replied.
Strickland’s comment was clearly provocative, and it appeared to take another shot at Jennifer Mir after her controversial reaction to Apodaca’s victory. The middleweight champion has previously attracted considerable attention for his comments about women’s involvement in combat sports.
Woman cant be coaches.
The middleweight champion has famously questioned the popularity of women’s sports, most notably saying that “no one gives a f—k” about women’s sports and that women should only “cook and clean.” As a result, his latest comment about Bella Mir’s mother coaching her is unsurprising to those familiar with his history of provocative statements.
However, while Jennifer Mir has faced considerable criticism over her reaction to Apodaca’s upset victory, the fighter herself has taken a much more relaxed approach to the entire situation.
Alex Apodaca reacts to Bella Mir’s mother’s rant and reveals Strickland’s message
The Texas native is currently on cloud nine after pulling off the biggest upsets in DWCS history. From balancing MMA while working a full-time job at an accounting firm to defeating a UFC legend’s daughter, who has trained in martial arts all her life and is an NCAA wrestling standout, Apodaca’s story is nothing short of inspiring. But her DWCS win was marred by controversy after Bella’s mother unfairly targeted her.
Though Jennifer later apologized, many wanted to know what Apodaca actually thought about the entire controversy. Well, she finally reacted to the controversy, and it seems she’s pretty unbothered by it.
“Yeah… I didn’t even know that,” Apodaca told Home Of Fight. “I had no idea. I think everyone else is making it more of a thing. It didn’t impact me or anything. I think people, they are gonna… they just wanna fixate on something, sometimes. So, I was like, I’m just not gonna do that.”
Rather than responding to Jennifer’s comments, the 32-year-old chose to focus on the significance of her victory. Her measured response also suggested that she understood emotions were running high within Bella’s family following such a shocking defeat. And the biggest surprise came when Apodaca revealed that several prominent names in MMA had reached out to congratulate her.
During the interview, Alex Apodaca revealed that Henry Cejudo posted a video breaking down her latest win, which she described as “crazy.” But she was even more surprised to receive a personal message from Sean Strickland himself.
“Cejudo posted a whole thing, which is crazy,” she added. “You know who also messaged me, which I appreciated: Sean Strickland. I was like, ‘Oh s—, that’s sick.’”
Ironically, Strickland’s private message to Apodaca was considerably more supportive than his public comments about her opponent’s mother.
Despite the controversy surrounding the fight, Apodaca appears determined to move forward and capitalize on the biggest opportunity of her career. Her victory over Bella Mir not only earned her a UFC contract but also transformed her from a relatively unknown fighter into one of the most talked-about prospects to emerge from this season of the Contender Series.
Now, with a UFC contract secured and prominent champions already taking notice, Alex Apodaca’s next challenge will be proving that her stunning DWCS upset was the beginning of something much bigger rather than a one-night Cinderella story.