White Admits Extreme Bias Toward Mir Before DWCS Loss

Dana White conceded he talked up Bella Mir too aggressively before her upset loss on Tuesday's Contender Series card in Las Vegas.

Mir, daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, entered as a -4000 favorite against Alex Apodaca but lost a unanimous decision 29-28 across all three scorecards. Apodaca walked away with the UFC contract while Mir headed back to the drawing board, per MMA Mania.

White Takes Responsibility For Hype Machine

At the post-fight presser, White owned his role in building expectations. "I was extremely biased coming into tonight," he said. "I've been close to her for over four years. Four years ago she came to me and just wanted to map out her future. I'm the one that talked her into going to college and waiting."

White had previously called Mir a "one of one unicorn" and praised her stated ambitions to win titles in UFC, Zuffa Boxing, and submission grappling. The UFC boss said the setback could serve her long-term, citing analyst Michael Bisping's observation that Mir lacked deep-water experience while Apodaca had been tested in grind-it-out battles.

"She didn't fold, she didn't get stopped, she didn't quit," White added. "This is all part of the game." He also noted the absurd betting line made the card a dream for sharps looking to fade public money. Contender Series returns next Tuesday with Week 4 of Season 10.

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• MMA Mania — Dana White admits hyping Bella Mir to moon before Contender Series crash: ‘I was extremely biased’