Bellamir may be one of the busiest 22-year-old athletes in the world.
After winning at UFC BJJ 1 on June 1, her fourth professional fight will be set to Fury Challenger Series 14 on Sunday as she returned to MMA for the first time in three years. Her absence from the fight was not self-selection, but a necessity as she understood her future in wrestling after starting the Iowa Powerhouse program, but nearly gave up on the sport due to injuries.
“When I went to college, the agreement was a battle over the summer and then we wrestled all year round,” Mir told MMA Fighting. “However, my first year in college went to Junior World. I had some conflict of interest with my old coach in fighting and training with other fields other than wrestling. So I transferred to North Central (college).
“But last year I was actually trying to fight. It was really tough for my opponents, plans and dates, but I was trying to schedule a schedule. So I was actually planning the fight last year. I was training all summer. I was training.
The University of Iowa is also the 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blade, boasting one of the nation’s most successful women’s wrestling programs. Mir achieved success in Iowa, but she also felt that her body betrayed her with multiple injuries.
She gave up on wrestling and was ready to focus on other combat sports, but she decided to transfer to a new school (another outstanding university for female wrestlers).
“The main reason (I left Iowa) was certainly my injuries and I had to deal with it all year round,” Mir said. “Looking at the big picture, I feel like I’ve been struggling in college for four years and not only am I doing a normal job, but I am not just struggling with advanced level tournaments internationally.
“I do all three (sports) as much as I can, but MMA/UFC has always been my main goal, so I need my body for that.”
Mir sought advice from UFC CEO Dana White after signing her as the first athlete to deal with promotions and name, image and likeness rights. Of course, she was a two-time heavyweight champion, and mostly part of the UFC family since her birth thanks to her father Frank Meal, who fought there for 15 years.
She believes White has convinced her to try something else.
“I talked to coach and Dana White. We have a lot of meetings with him. He said, “Let’s see why we’re not transferring and if we need a different environment. “I thought it was pretty fair.”
“So I transferred and never got hurt. I think it was my environment and training. Not every school is for everyone. Iowa is a great place. Fans, girls, teammates, atmosphere, Iowa is great.
Mir finished second in her first year at North Central 2025 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championship at 145 pounds.
She is clearly back in college, but Mir is aiming for 2028, when she lands in Los Angeles. The chance to represent America on the biggest stage of athletics at the US Olympics is a dream come true. So Mir will continue to wrestlee at the forefront of her mind for the next few years.
“Go to the Olympic trial, make that team, I feel like you’re struggling at any level. Whose dream is to go to the Olympics and represent America on their backs and chests?” Mir said. “Of course, that’s my goal. I’ll build an advanced level team and win world medals for wrestling. That’s always been my goal. I’ve always wanted to be the best for wrestling.
That said, Mir still practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu several times a week, and she continues to train in MMA during the offseason of wrestling.
“Wrestling is my priority right now,” Mir said. “My next event will not be on the 20th-26th of U23 Worlds in Serbia, so I’m going to make full use of this time. I’ll compete with as many MMAs as possible in jiu-jitsu and train and sparr as much as possible.
“Obviously, I’m still training wrestling. I don’t want to lose it in October, so I’m still doing freestyle. Obviously my goal is 2028, but wrestling is definitely not my No. 1 (sports).
While wrestling now accounts for a large part of her time, Mir admits that her desire to join the best fighters in the UFC world is definitely becoming harder to ignore.
She is constantly in contact with White and always receives advice from her father as far as her career is concerned, but Mir does not underestimate the possibility that she will start fighting in the UFC before her wrestling career ends.
“After UFC BJJ 1, I was made to think a lot about how my timing wanted to get into the UFC,” Mir said. “I know that when I graduated from college, I might start a UFC fight, maybe a candidate fight, or a reserve fight, so I knew that might be my contract, so I know that might be my best and Dana would advise me on the best for me. I trust him.
“But I was thinking about it. If I wanted to fight in the UFC, I thought I’d wait until 2028. I’m continuing to pass the UFC fights for the summer or as much as I can.
Mir says having white on her horns has a great advantage as it makes these major decisions about the future of her movement. Even further, until notification, Mir ranks wrestling as her number one sport for now, but I know it’s only a matter of time before MMA becomes the only focus.
“I couldn’t be honest and appreciate the position I was in,” Mir said. “How the UFC supports me and Dana, what more can you ask? Sometimes, choking me when I’m sitting there and watching something on Instagram, I’m so grateful and I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity for the UFC to work with me and Dana and all the staff to support a part of the UFC.
“I feel that (wrestling) will be my first sport to retire as you don’t see 40-year-old wrestling you do in jiu-jitsu and MMA.