Dana White's Contender Series Week 3 is underway at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, with Bella Mir squaring off against Alex Apodaca in a bantamweight main event. Mir, daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir and this year's NCAA national wrestling champion at 145 lbs, has finished three of her four professional wins by submission. The co-main event features Mario Piazzon against Guilherme Uriel at heavyweight, with UFC contracts on the line across the full card.
Dana White's Contender Series returned for its third week of action at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 26, with Bella Mir taking on Alex Apodaca in a bantamweight main event and a heavyweight co-main event rounding out a full card of fighters competing for UFC contracts.
Mir arrives as one of the more high-profile prospects on this year's Contender Series. The daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, she captured the NCAA national wrestling title at 145 pounds earlier this year and carries a 4-0 professional record into Tuesday's bout. Her grappling credentials translate directly to the cage — three of her four wins have come by submission, marking her as a legitimate finishing threat on the ground.
Apodaca steps in as the opponent in what promises to be a compelling stylistic test at bantamweight, with a UFC contract the ultimate prize for the winner.
The co-main event brings together two undefeated heavyweights. Mario Piazzon, a 28-year-old Brazilian out of Galpao da Luta, brings an 8-0 record and one of the more unusual statistical profiles on the card. He lands 1.35 significant strikes per minute with a remarkable 73 percent striking accuracy, but his most eye-catching number is his takedown rate of 18.87 per 15 minutes — an elite wrestling output that has defined his unbeaten run. Standing 175 centimeters tall with a 185-centimeter reach, he is compact for the heavyweight division.
Guilherme Uriel, nicknamed "Urso," enters at 6-1 and at 29 years old represents an experienced test for the Brazilian wrestler.
Why it matters
- Mir's combination of elite wrestling pedigree and submission finishing ability makes her one of the most decorated prospects on this year's series
- Piazzon's extraordinary takedown rate sets up a fascinating stylistic clash against Uriel in the co-main
- Every bout on the card carries UFC contract implications, raising the stakes for the full lineup
