Accountant Alex Apodaca pulls off biggest upset in Contender Series history — then heads to work

Alex Apodaca delivered the biggest upset in Dana White’s Contender Series history on 25 August, defeating heavily favoured Bella Mir over three rounds to earn a UFC contract — then went straight back to her accounting career, with a 7:30 a.m. work call waiting the following morning.

The 32-year-old bantamweight, who works full-time as a consultant at an accounting firm, was candid about her post-fight plans at the press conference following Week 3 of DWCS Season 10. “I am gonna party my ass off, but I have work in the morning. I have a call at like 7:30 a.m.,” she said.

Despite signing with the UFC, Apodaca has no intention of walking away from her professional career outside the cage. “I actually don’t think I’m just gonna quit,” she added. “I think I’m gonna keep doing it. I like using my brain, so I’m gonna keep doing it.”

Balancing fight camps and weight cuts with a demanding corporate role has not been without its challenges, but Apodaca said her colleagues and employers have been a consistent source of support throughout her MMA journey.

“They’ve been very supportive. I have so much gratitude towards them for that,” she said. “I’ll be on video calls with a black eye and they are totally just used to it now. It’s the coolest thing ever to have that amount of support from all the people in my life, especially the folks I work for.”

Apodaca’s victory over Mir — daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir — stands as the most significant upset the Contender Series has produced since Dana White launched the talent-search show. Earning a UFC contract at 32 while maintaining a parallel career in finance makes her story one of the more unusual in recent MMA memory.