Who is Bella Mir? The 17-year-old rising star following in the footsteps of her UFC legend father

Bella Mir is the new mixed martial arts world sensation. The 17-year-old just won her second MMA bout in the main event of iKON Fighting Federation after a first-round rear-naked choke on Alma Cespedes.

Bella Mir seals it in the first round!#iKon4 pic.twitter.com/lHEWzbtKJB

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) December 12, 2020

The talent and promising skills from 'Lady' Mir come as no surprise since she is the daughter of former UFC two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Currently fighting for Bellator, Frank Mir didn't hide his pride over his daughter's accomplishment.

"I'm so beyond proud of my daughter Bella. When you're 17, athletic talent does not always transfer over to mental strength. In fact, it can weaken it. She overcame adversity, and now the world knows not only her talent but how strong her mind is."

Even though Frank and Bella train together and his advice has resulted in a successful career for her thus far, 'Lady' Bella Mir doesn't give all of the credits to him. She also took inspiration from other legendary women UFC fighters.

"I officially knew I wanted to do it when I saw Ronda [Rousey] fighting, and I saw her dominating in the sport," Bella Mir revealed. "That just kind of motivated me. If I see another girl do it, I have to do it, and I want to do it better."

Frank doesn't seem to be bothered by Bella Mir getting motivation from somewhere else. He believes that fighting offers one of the best platforms for women to shine in the sports world.

"Fighting lends itself to a unique situation where women can be on the same stage or even greater than their male counterparts. There is not a lot of other sports like that. Even in basketball, the female side is overshadowed by the male side. I get it, but I think for a young woman that wants to be an athlete, who wants to compete, that can be very frustrating," reflected Frank Mir. "I always told her girl fighting was never going to be in the UFC. That's what I thought 15 years ago. Once Ronda broke those barriers and crossed over, I was like, 'this is going to happen.'"

Bella Mir hopes to repeat her father's success as an MMA fighter

Competing in the featherweight division, Bella Mir made her MMA debut last October in a win against Danielle Wynn. The victory came via unanimous decision after neither fighter could end the fight before the third round was over.

Bella Mir knows that she will always be measured against her father's success. Frank Mir fought in the UFC for 15 years, the longest uninterrupted tenure of any fighter in the history of the promotion. With legendary fights against Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira and Brock Lesnar, Frank was the UFC heavyweight champion on two different occasions.

Despite the pressure, Bella Mir doesn't seem bothered by it. She prefers using it as leverage to get herself even more motivat

"I always try to do my best. I don't really like to prove people wrong or right or that I can do this or I can't. I kind of just do this for me. I'm always testing myself. I'm always trying to put myself in the hardest positions to see if I can get out," Bella Mir explained. "I always will have that expectation. People are expecting me to do better. But I've always kind of had that, and I like that. Because I have a goal, and I obviously want to beat his goals. I want to beat the stuff he's put on, the stats in the UFC. That just gives me the motivation to do better."

Like her father, Bella Mir relies on her skills as a wrestler to dominate her opponents. Frank is the UFC fighter with the most first-round submission wins in the promotion's history.

Frank Mir's daughter fights under the same agency that represents himself, Front Row Management. She signed the contract last September and is already proving she was a worthy bet. First Row Management has some other stars in their portfolio, like Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal.

"This one is a good one. Please help me in welcoming 17-year-old Bella Mir to the Front Row Management family. Bella Mir happens to be the oldest daughter of 2x heavyweight champion and first Cuban champion ever in the UFC, Frank Mir. Now here is the best part: Bella is regarded as the best athlete in Las Vegas, male or female, her dad has been training her for years, and well, she is making her pro debut next month. Skies [are] the limit, and here is to the real future of the women's divisions everywhere! I'd say welcome to the fam, but you have been family!"

iKON Fighting Federation, where Bella Mir is currently fighting, is a new entrepreneur venture started by Roy Jones Jr, who recently returned from retirement to have an exhibition boxing bout with sports legend Mike Tyson. iKON promotes pro boxing, pro-MMA, and amateur MMA bouts and expects to recruit some big names soon in their plan of further development.