Dana White’s Contender Series Week 3 on Tuesday night was pure chaos, but nothing hit harder than Alex Apodaca dropping one of the biggest upsets in series history against Bella Mir. Apodaca snagged a unanimous decision and a contract at the Meta Apex, a win literally nobody saw coming.
She Was a -3000 Favorite. Seriously.
Think about this: Bella Mir was pegged as a staggering -2000 to -3000 favorite in the main event. The talk was all about Mir, daughter of a former UFC champ, just cruising to the UFC. Apodaca? She was supposed to make Mir look good. But Apodaca had other plans. From the very first bell, she controlled the action. She stuffed Mir’s takedown attempts and even bloodied Mir’s nose. When the scorecards came back, it was 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. Unanimous. Pure domination against insane odds.
You gotta respect that kind of fire. Apodaca herself knew what was up. After the fight, she dropped some truth: “That’s crazy, I didn’t look at the odds before, I knew it was bullshit. I just truly believe that if I stay present and in the moment that nobody’s going to beat me because I’m technical and I’m strong.” Dana White, despite his admitted bias for Mir due to his family relationship with Frank Mir, was so blown away by Apodaca’s outstanding performance that he had no choice but to award her a contract. She earned it as the fifth of five winners that night.
Beyond the Upset: Brutal Finishes and New Contracts
Apodaca’s stunner was huge, but Week 3 delivered more. Guilherme Uriel, back for a second shot after getting stopped last year by rising heavyweight Josh Hokit, locked in a nasty standing guillotine choke in the first round against Mario Piazzon, forcing a tap. Talk about seizing your moment!
Ronald Humphrey put on a clinic against Alexis Miranda. Humphrey dropped Miranda with a jab, followed with brutal ground-and-pound, then secured a rear-naked choke for a violent finish. Sean Clancy Jr. got a second-round TKO via punches against Gary Balletto, and Nick Galanti won against Carlos Petruzze. This night was about making statements, and these fighters absolutely delivered.
What a night for fights, especially for Apodaca. She went from unheard-of underdog to contract winner in a flash. For her and the other four contract winners, this is just the beginning of their UFC journey. It’s awesome to see raw talent and sheer grit pay off like that. You gotta wonder who’s gonna make the biggest splash next in the big show. These are the stories that make you tune in every time, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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