Alex Apodaca stuns UFC legend’s daughter Bella Mir after being treated like a ‘sacrificial lamb’ on Dana White’s UFC Contender Series

Alex Apodaca pulled off one of the biggest upsets of her young MMA career when she defeated Bella Mir on Dana White’s Contender Series. The 3-1 underdog entered the fight against the daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir as a huge outsider. Mir was reportedly around a -6000 favourite, with Apodaca viewed by many as little more than a stepping stone.But Apodaca refused to follow the expected script. The 23-year-old won by unanimous decision and earned a coveted UFC contract after her stunning performance. Despite the shock result, Apodaca praised Mir and insisted she did not want to discredit her opponent or herself.Alex Apodaca turns ‘sacrificial lamb’ tag into a UFC contractThe UFC had been building Bella Mir for years. At just 23, Mir already carried a famous surname and a strong MMA pedigree. As the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, she entered the Contender Series bout with considerable attention around her.That made Apodaca’s position even more difficult.She was then 3-1 as a professional and was expected to lose heavily. The reported betting line showed just how one-sided the fight appeared on paper. Mir was listed as around a -6000 favourite.Apodaca, however, never accepted that she was simply there to help build Mir’s career.“I didn’t find the actual [odds] out before the fight, but I knew what was happening. I’m just like the sacrificial lamb being thrown in is kind of the thought that people are thinking, which I was like, that’s insane. Nothing points to the fact that I’m just going to go out there and just like get smashed”, Apodaca told Babcock per TMZ.The huge underdog admitted that she did have moments of doubt before entering the cage.“Every once in a while I’d be like, I’m going to win. I’m going to win. But then I’d look at my coach and be like, ‘You think she’s really that good?’ Like, dude, what is happening?” she said.Those doubts disappeared once the fight got underway.Apodaca stayed composed and produced the performance needed to secure a unanimous decision victory. The result completely changed the narrative surrounding the bout.Instead of being the opponent expected to lose, Apodaca became the fighter celebrating a major upset.She also refused to take cheap shots at Mir after the victory. Apodaca made it clear that she respected her opponent and believed Mir was a talented fighter.And she did exactly that. The victory was followed by an even bigger reward. Apodaca was awarded a UFC contract, turning what many expected to be a difficult night into a life-changing moment.She described the experience as overwhelming while sitting alone inside the cage after her victory.For Apodaca, the apparent stepping-stone role became something completely different. She entered as a massive underdog and left with a unanimous decision win and a UFC contract.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.