Diana Belbiță reacts to Bella Mir's first MMA loss
Ex-UFC women's fighter Diana Belbiță recently shared her thoughts on Bella Mir's loss to Alex Apodaca, offering insight into what may have caused led to the outcome.
Diana Belbiță is one of several MMA figures to share their thoughts on Bella Mir's recent loss to Alex Apodaca at Dana White's Contender Series 89. While her loss came as a shock to many in the MMA world, especially given her status as a historic -6000 favorite, Belbiță believes she may have identified the reason for the defeat.
Bantamweight is too much for Bella Mir, according to Diana Belbiță
At Dana White's Contender Series 89, Bella Mir faced Alex Apodaca at women's bantamweight. A win would have almost certainly earned her a UFC contract, regardless of her fight's entertainment value or lack there of. Her name value couldn't be ignored. Instead, Mir suffered a unanimous decision loss against a foe many had dismissed, and ex-UFC women's fighter Diana Belbiță, who previously competed at both women's flyweight and women's strawweight, believes Mir, who is just as tall as her at 5 feet 7 inches, is too small for the 135-pound weight class.
"Bella Mir is a little bit small for 135."
It isn't all down to her height, though, as Mir's frame just doesn't fill out the way the top women's bantamweights do. For example, there is a night and day difference between her and the UFC's reigning 135-pound champion Kayla Harrison, despite the latter only being an inch taller. The loss came as a harsh reality check, as prior to the fight, Mir was an undefeated prospect with dreams of becoming the greatest combat sports athlete of all time. In fact, UFC CEO Dana White claimed that she was eyeing a UFC title, UFC BJJ title, Zuffa Boxing title, and Olympic gold. Instead, she was given a humbling experience, and will now return to the drawing board, especially with how lost she looked in the striking department.
Apodaca was able to freeze Mir with snappy jabs and front kicks to the body, dictating the range and rendering her unwilling to take any risks to close the distance. Even her grappling was nowhere to be seen, and once she tired, Mir was content with backing up and staying near the fence to avoid running into any more jabs. While she had the support of her mother afterward, her loss also sparked a conversation about the role of loved ones in coaching, namely her legendary father, Frank Mir, who serves as one of her coaches.
