Bella Mir On NCAA Title And Future UFC Run

Bella Mir wrestles for an NCAA championship this weekend convinced she could walk into the UFC and challenge for a title immediately.

The daughter of former heavyweight champion Frank Mir told ESPN she believes her grappling base would translate to mixed martial arts success at the highest level. "Right now, I could be UFC champion," she said in the interview, ahead of her collegiate title bout.

Dana White Mentors Mir Through College Wrestling

White has taken a mentorship role with the younger Mir as she pursues gold on the mats, according to the ESPN story. The UFC president has stayed in contact with Frank Mir's daughter throughout her college wrestling career, watching her development in a sport that has produced some of the promotion's most dominant champions.

Mir competes in the NCAA women's wrestling championships this weekend, where a title would bolster her credentials ahead of any potential cage debut. Her father captured UFC heavyweight gold twice during a career that spanned fifteen years and produced some of the division's most technical grappling performances.

The bout takes place Saturday as part of the NCAA wrestling finals.

Reported via:

• ESPN MMA — 'Right now, I could be UFC champion': Bella Mir is the future face of fighting