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Dana White reacts to Bella Mir's shocking Contender Series defeat

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Dana White reacts to Bella Mir's shocking Contender Series defeat

UFC boss Dana White has given his thoughts on Bella Mir's defeat to Alex Apodaca on last night's Contender Series show.

Heading into Tuesday's Contender Series event, Bella Mir was an absolutely huge favorite over Alex Apodaca. So, you can imagine everyone's shock when Alex was able to pull off the win, making her one of the biggest betting underdog winners in the history of the UFC.

RELATED: Dana White heaps praise on Bella Mir ahead of Contender Series debut

Bella Mir, daughter of the iconic UFC heavyweight Frank Mir, has been working towards this moment for a long time now. She's still young and still has lots of time left to improve, but this was certainly a big learning experience for her.

In the post-fight press conference, Dana White had the following to say about Bella's effort.

White reacts to Mir's shocking defeat

“I was extremely biased coming into tonight,†he admitted. “I've been close to her for over four years. Four years ago she came to me and just wanted to map out her future. I'm the one that talked her into going to college and waiting. Getting a wrestling background in college, doing some great things there, and then come here. You guys all heard what her goals were for the next several years.â€

“[Michael] Bisping absolutely nailed it and said, ‘The difference in this fight is deep water,’†White said. “Bella's never been there. Alex has … She didn't have deep water experience and now she does. She didn't fold, she didn't get stopped, she didn't quit. This is all part of the game.â€

“I don't know if it's better to lose. If tonight she was in the deep water like she was and pulled out the win in the third round, then it's like, ‘Holy s–t, this is a wake-up call. I'm not as dominant as I thought I was gonna be, and I got a lot of things to work on.’â€

Quotes via Yahoo Sports

What should be next for Mir? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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MMA

Alex Apodaca reacts to historic DWCS upset over -6000 favorite Bella Mir

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Alex Apodaca reacts to historic DWCS upset over -6000 favorite Bella Mir
Alex
Apodaca didn't want to be affected by the odds going into her

Dana White's Contender Series outing against Bella
Mir.

Apodaca (5-1) took on Mir (4-1), daughter of former
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Frank Mir, in a
bantamweight tilt on
Week 3 of DWCS 2026. Mir was a -6000 favorite, the biggest in
DWCS history, going into her clash against Apodaca, a +1200
underdog.

However, it was clear that the odds were off as soon as Apodaca
defended the first takedown.

Alex Apodaca earned a UFC contract after beating Bella Mir in
the biggest upset in DWCS history

Apodaca gave Mir all she could handle in a highly competitive
affair, establishing control in the final round to earn a unanimous
decision victory. The former earned a UFC contract for the biggest
upset in DWCS history, and after the bout, she revealed that she
avoided looking at the odds to stay focused on the high-profile
matchup.

“I didn’t want to look at the odds before; I knew they were some
bullsh*t,†Apodaca said in her post-fight interview. “I just truly
believe if I stay present and in the moment that I can see
everything and nobody is going to beat me. Cause I’m pretty
technical, and I’m strong as f*ck.â€

Notably, while giving Apodaca the contract, UFC CEO Dana
White admitted that he was heavily biased towards Mir, having
been involved in the latter's combat sports career.

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MMA

DWCS winner Joseph Kropschot lands UFC debut just weeks after earning contract

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DWCS winner Joseph Kropschot lands UFC debut just weeks after earning contract
Joseph
Kropschot won’t have to wait long for his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10
Week 1 contract winner has been booked to face Nick Klein
at a UFC
Fight Night on Oct. 31 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Joseph Kropschot faces Nick Klein at UFC Fight Night on Oct.
31

Kropschot earned his UFC contract on Aug. 11, defeating Jonathan
Kunneman by unanimous decision after three rounds on the
opening episode of the 2026 Contender Series season. He boasts a
9-3 professional record in mixed martial arts and has won his last
five fights. His contract-winning effort on DWCS marks the lone
decision win of his career.

Meanwhile, Klein owns a 6-3 professional record and has not
competed since a technical knockout loss to Andrey
Pulyaev in August 2025. He lost to Mansur
Abdul-Malik in his UFC debut after earning a contract on DWCS
in 2024.

The upcoming matchup gives Kropschot an opportunity to build on his
Contender Series debut and officially begin his UFC tenure. For
Klein, it offers a chance to snap a two-fight losing streak and
record his first win in the UFC.

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MMA

Sean Clancy Jr. explains why he waited until Round 2 to finish Gary Balletto Jr.

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Sean Clancy Jr. explains why he waited until Round 2 to finish Gary Balletto Jr.
Sean
Clancy Jr. claims he could have finished his
Dana White's Contender Series bout sooner than he did.

Clancy Jr. (9-0) took on Gary
Balletto Jr. (11-4) in a welterweight clash on
Week 3 of DWCS 2026. Clancy Jr. took Balletto Jr. down in the
second round and blasted him with elbows to earn a stoppage and an

Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

Sean Clancy Jr. says he sought experience before finishing Gary
Balletto Jr.

Clancy Jr. says he felt Balletto Jr.'s face get crushed between his
elbow and the mat.

“I’m buzzing, yeah, I’ve always wanted to put something open like
that,†Clancy Jr. said in his post-fight interview. “It was, aye,
it’s something I’ve wanted for a while. I remember being so
present; it just, as soon as I put it down, I just felt his face
just get crushed in between my elbow and the mat. It was
phenomenal. Just split wide open. It’s the first time I’ve done it,
but aye, here’s to many more.â€

The 23-year-old also claims he chose to gain some striking
experience against Balletto Jr. in the first round. “The One†is
confident he can finish anyone the way he finished his counterpart
in the second frame.

“Well, I’m only a 23-year-old boy, like people forget that,†Clancy
Jr. added. “Forget that I’m looking to try and pick up experience
in there. That’s where he’s good, so I chose to spend a little bit
of time there with him and just see, just rack up experience and
stuff, you know? But I did in the second round, I can do that to
absolutely anyone. I know I could have done that to him in the
first round. Just wanted to have fun. Pick up the experience.â€

Clancy Jr., a former
Cage Warriors interim welterweight champion, has finished all
nine of his career wins so far.

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