The UFC is going into the name, photo and also similarity (NIL) industry. The globe’s biggest battle promo has actually designated Bella Mir, child of previous UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir, as its first-ever NIL ambassador, as revealed by ESPN on Friday.
Bella Mir, 19, is a fresher at the University of Iowa and also completes for the college’s women fumbling group. She is currently 3-0 as a specialist MMA boxer.
“I’m so happy to [UFC president] Dana [White] and also UFC for providing me this opportunity,” Bella Mir revealed in a declaration. “I’m mosting likely to do my ideal to stand for UFC and also reveal the globe what I’m everything about.”
NIL deals, which were initial enabled by the NCAA in July 2021, give university professional athletes the chance to earn money on tasks such as recommendations, social networks blog posts, and also public looks. All of those tasks had actually been formerly outlawed by the NCAA.
Bella Mir was a four-time Nevada state secondary school battling champ, rated 6th across the country at 144 extra pounds amongst secondary school wrestlers, and also has actually won numerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions. Most just recently in MMA, she beat Jessica Link by first-round armbar in June under the Xtreme Fight Night banner.
“Bella was predestined to end up being a participant of the UFC family members her whole life, and also I’m proud that she’s making background as our initial NIL ambassador in among the most effective programs at the University of Iowa,” White revealed in a declaration. “… Bella is an amazing good example for girls that are not just wanting to enter sporting activities, yet likewise seek their desires. She’s on one more degree, and also we can not wait to see what she does following.”
NIL agreements do not always indicate that a professional athlete will certainly complete for the UFC, yet offered Bella Mir’s heritage, it promises that she will certainly fight for the promo in the future.
It is uncertain if the UFC will certainly authorize a lot more university professional athletes to NIL agreements. WWE, on the various other hand, has a detailed NIL program with greater than 30 professional athletes got over the last 2 years. Olympic fumbling gold champion Gable Steveson, whom the UFC likewise had some rate of interest in, was the initial WWE NIL signee in September 2021.
Frank Mir is an MMA leader that initially won the UFC heavyweight title in 2004, has a triumph over Brock Lesnar, and also was UFC acting heavyweight champ in 2008. He last defended the UFC in 2019.
