Bella Mir Headlines DWCS 89 on Aug. 25 for UFC Contract

Q: Does Bella Mir's historic UFC NIL deal mean her path to a contract is secretly paved regardless of her August 25 outcome?

No. Bella Mir’s NIL relationship with UFC gives her visibility and access, but it does not mean a contract is guaranteed regardless of what happens on Aug. 25. The clearest evidence is how UFC and Dana White have framed these situations. DWCS is explicitly a merit-based tryout, and White has said even people already close to the company only get signed “if” they are good enough. That standard was applied publicly to Sal Everett, a UFC employee, and reporting around Mir’s booking says the same thing: a win does not automatically secure a deal, and a loss certainly would weaken her case. What the NIL deal does change is her standing as a valued long-term prospect. Mir was the first athlete to sign a UFC NIL agreement in 2023, White says he has been involved in her development for four years, and he has openly praised her as “special.” Add her 4-0 MMA record, NCAA-level wrestling success, U23 national title, and UFC BJJ/RAF activity, and she is clearly someone UFC wants in its ecosystem. That makes her path better positioned, not secretly pre-approved. If she beats Alex Apodaca in impressive DWCS fashion — especially with the kind of finish White regularly rewards — she will be in a strong spot for either a standard UFC contract or some form of developmental deal. If she underperforms or loses, the UFC could still keep investing in her through grappling, wrestling, or future MMA opportunities, but that is different from having a contract already paved in advance.

3 articles · Updated · talkSPORT · Aug 11

23-year-old Bella Mir will main event Dana White's Contender Series 89 on Aug. 25 in Las Vegas, facing fellow American Alex Apodaca in a bid to earn a UFC contract.
The bout will be just Mir's fifth pro MMA fight and her first since a first-round submission win for Fury FC in July 2025; all but one of her MMA victories have come by first-round submission.
Mir, a two-time BJJ world champion and daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, said she wants to become "the best athlete of all time" and the first woman to reach that level.
DWCS runs 10 weekly cards from August through October as the UFC's prospect pipeline, though victories do not automatically guarantee contracts.