The UFC has signed Bella Mir, the daughter of former heavyweight champion, Frank Mir, to become the promotion's first-ever NIL ambassador.
ESPN's Marc Raimondi was the first to report the news on Friday, with the company officially announcing it shortly after that. Mir is currently a freshman at the University of Iowa and a women's wrestling team member. The 20-year-old also has already compiled a professional MMA record of 3-0 and is coming off a first-round submission win over, Jessica Link, at Xtreme Fight Night 381 this past June in her latest outing. UFC President Dana White gave the following statement about signing Mir.
“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,” White said. “She’s a four-time state high school wrestling champion who has won jiu-jitsu tournaments and three professional MMA fights before turning 19. Bella is an incredible role model for young women who are not only looking to get into sports but also pursue their dreams. She’s on another level, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.”
We're happy to announce Bella Mir as the UFC's first ever NIL ambassador!
— UFC (@ufc) January 27, 2023
Mir is currently a freshman at the University of Iowa (@TheIowaHawkeyes) and a member of @IowaW_Wrestling -- pic.twitter.com/7JCEQd1WqT
NIL deals, which were first allowed by the NCAA in July 2021, afford college athletes the ability to make money on things like endorsements, social media posts, and public appearances. All of those things had been previously prohibited by the NCAA.
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