Bella Mir wants to avoid suffering brain damage like her father Frank Mir

Bella Mir is just starting her professional MMA career, but her early steps bear many similarities to her father's career path. Just like former UFC champion Frank Mir, the young American fighter won her professional debut by decision, followed by three victories by submission in her subsequent appearances before losing for the first time in her fifth fight. However, despite the similarities, Mir wants her career to follow a different path than her father's as she wants to avoid having brain damage like him.

Bella Mir Notices Similarities with Father Frank Mir

Last week, Mir faced the biggest challenge of her short career so far when she faced Alex Apodaca at Dana White's Contender Series. The daughter of Frank Mir ultimately lost the bout by unanimous decision, leaving both father and daughter with the same record after their first five professional fights.

Although she noticed the similarities between her results and her father's, Mir is concerned with another factor where she doesn't want to follow in her dad's footsteps. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Mir said she is worried about having substantial brain damage like the former champion.

"I didn't know that until I watched someone on a video post on Instagram and they were talking about and I was like, that is so weird," Mir said. "I hope that we don't have the exact career all the way through because I want to fight for a long time and not have so much brain damage."

Bella Mir Wants to Avoid Wars Like Father Frank Mir

Throughout a career that spanned almost two decades, Mir was involved in intense battles inside the Octagon, including 10 losses by knockout or TKO. Aware of the punishment her father endured during his career, his daughter has no plans on being involved in these kinds of fights if possible. After all, she sees the damage her father has sustained after years in the sport.

"He's been in so many wars before, his brain is not good today," Mir said. "I feel like it's really been catching up to him and I'd like to try to get fast finishes and not have wars like that, like I just did in that last fight. Obviously, if I have to I will. I don't know if I want to have 32 fights."

Mir will now look to bounce back from her first professional loss while trying to build a career of her own, one that she hopes will not include the kind of punishment her father endured throughout his time in MMA.