Bella Mir stunned at -6000 odds as Dana White hands out five UFC contracts at DWCS

Alex Apodaca delivered the most stunning result in Dana White’s Contender Series history on August 25, defeating Bella Mir by unanimous decision at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Mir, daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, entered the bantamweight contest as a -6000 favourite, making Apodaca’s dominant performance all the more remarkable.

Apodaca (5-1) outclassed Mir (4-1) on the feet and held her own in wrestling exchanges throughout, earning a clean sweep on the judges’ scorecards. White, who acknowledged being heavily biased toward Mir given his role as her mentor, conceded that commentator Michael Bisping had correctly predicted Apodaca’s experience would prove decisive.

All five bouts on the Week 3 card of DWCS Season 10 ended with the winner receiving a UFC contract.

Nick Galanti opened the card in emphatic fashion, stopping Carlos Petruzzella with ground-and-pound just 35 seconds into their middleweight contest after dropping him with a right hook. White was effusive in his praise. “Nick, you couldn’t possibly open a show better than you did,” he said. “Congratulations, you’re in the UFC.”

Ronald Humphrey continued his unbeaten run to 5-0, submitting Alexis Miranda with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their welterweight bout. White revealed that matchmaker Sean Shelby had struggled to find Humphrey an opponent for the show — and suggested the problem would persist inside the UFC. “You’re not gonna be able to get anyone to fight him either,” White told Shelby. “Congratulations, welcome to the UFC.”

Cage Warriors interim welterweight champion Sean Clancy Jr. earned his contract with a second-round stoppage of Gary Balletto Jr., dragging his opponent to the mat and finishing with elbows. The 23-year-old improved to 9-0, drawing particular praise for his composure. “I love how technical and composed you are for such a young guy,” White said.

Guillherme Uriel rounded out the contracted winners, submitting Mario Piazzon with a guillotine choke in just 50 seconds — a finish White admitted he had not seen coming when the submission attempt first appeared.