UFC signs former heavyweight champion's daughter as promotion's first NIL ambassador

The UFC recently signed Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, as its first-ever NIL ambassador. The 20-year-old is a freshman at the University of Iowa and competes for her university's women's wrestling team. Furthermore, she also boasts a pro-MMA record of 3-0.

So far, 'Lady' has competed in the women’s featherweight division. She also won multiple state wrestling championships in Nevada in 144-pounds.

Read the tweet below:

The NIL deal refers to college athletes capitalizing on their name, image, and likeness to generate income. These deals are usually based on endorsements, social media activity, and public appearances. With the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) loosening its restrictions on such contracts recently, NIL deals have become a trend among top-level collegiate sportspeople.

Dana White recently said in a press release statement:

"Bella was destined to become a member of the UFC family her entire life, and I’m proud that she’s making history as our first NIL ambassador in one of the best programs at the University of Iowa...

Apart from venturing into the world of sponsoring college athletes, the UFC will also be supporting the University of Iowa's student wrestling programs. While it is unclear if the promotion intends to sign more college athletes to NIL deals, it certainly opens new doors to recognizing and developing potential talents.

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When former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir talked about his retirement fight with Bella Mir

Frank Mir is certainly a proud father after the UFC announced his daughter, Bella Mir, as their very first NIL ambassador.

'Lady' got her first professional win at the age of 17 in 2020 at the iKON Fighting Federation 2 against Danielle Winn via unanimous decision and went on to beat her next two opponents via first-round submissions.

With such an impressive record at her age, it is not surprising that her father would want his retirement fight on a card headlined by his daughter.

In an October 2022 interview with Brendan Schaub on the Thiccc Boy channel, Frank Mir said:

"Next year I'm going to go ahead and fight again because actually, I want to fight in the same card as Bella. It's my last fight, she could headline the card, I could open it, you know what I mean, that type of thing. How many times is that going to happen in history."

Watch the clip below:

Frank Mir holds the record for the most submissions finishes in the promotion's heavyweight history. The 43-year-old also holds the record for the longest uninterrupted tenure with The Ultimate Fighting Championship, competing for the promotion for 16 years.