Bella Mir’s highly anticipated Dana White’s Contender Series appearance went up in smoke on Tuesday night against Alex Apodaca, and top UFC welterweight Sean Brady is absolutely not here for the pile-on from her detractors. Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, entered the fight as an unprecedented -6000 betting favorite but suffered a colossal upset, losing via unanimous decision to Apodaca in the Season 10, Week 4 main event. Apodaca, a massive +1500 underdog, walked away as one of five new UFC signees from the event.
“How Big of a Loser Are You?” Brady Rips Mir’s Critics
Reactions to Mir’s performance have been largely negative, with many fighters even taunting the 23-year-old over her loss. Sean Brady is fed up. Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Tuesday, Brady didn’t hold back, expressing frustration with what he’s witnessed. “It drives me crazy to see these guys online, talking about ‘fraud checked,’ and it’s like, how big of a loser are you?” Brady told Uncrowned. He pointed out the ridiculous pressure: “This girl is 23 years old. She’s 4-0. She goes out there,those odds make no sense. This is mixed martial arts. Anything can happen. It just makes no sense that there’s that much pressure on her, because stuff like this happens.” Brady is a fan, making a bold prediction: “I guarantee you she bounces back, and I guarantee you she’s a UFC champion. And I’m a fan of hers, man,the way she grapples, the way she strikes.”
Fighters Piling On? That’s Even Worse
Frank Mir himself suffered his first defeat in his fifth professional bout at age 23, just like his daughter. Two years later, in 2004, he won the UFC heavyweight title. Brady knows the feeling all too well, recalling his own first career loss,a first-round stoppage against Belal Muhammad in 2022,and how he was suddenly written off as a contender. “She had a bad night,” he said. “That’s what drives me crazy about all these people s***ing on her. Even when I lost, when all these young fighters lose for the first time, ‘fraud check.’ It’s always people who are losers who have never accomplished anything, taking the chance to s*** on somebody when they’re having a bad moment in their life.” The worst part? Several of Brady’s fellow UFC fighters joined the chorus, making comments about Mir. Brady finds that even more frustrating than typical internet trolls. “That’s even worse. Like, you’re in this, you know how hard it is to go out there and compete and to win,” Brady stated. “It’s a 50/50 no matter your skills… It just sucks to see, especially other fighters, pile on top of a young girl like that, man. She’s an amazing athlete. She’s so young in the sport. Why s*** on her? It really does bother me.”
Brady, coming off a dominant performance against Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328 in May, will be back in action on November 7 to face Gabriel Bonfim in the main event of UFC Vegas 124. This guy clearly walks the walk and stands by his words, pushing back against the easy negativity.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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