Bella Mir’s arrival will have to wait.
On Tuesday night, Week 3 of Season 10 of Contender Series took place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, headlined by what was supposed to be a fait accompli with Bella Mir finally taking her place inside the UFC. Instead, Alex Apodaca delivered one of the biggest upsets in MMA history, earning herself a UFC contract, along with four other fighters on the night.
Alex Apodaca def. Bella Mir
Heading into the fight, Mir was the biggest betting favorite in Contender Series history — and one of the biggest favorites in MMA history, period — coming in at -4000 over Apodaca in some places. But nobody told Apodaca that, because she refused to be a stepping stone for the NCAA national champion wrestler.
Mir started strong, lighting Apodaca up on the feet with power punches. But Apodaca hung tough and kept working, stuffing Mir’s attempts to get her grappling game going and peppering her with jabs and kicks to the body. By the second round, Mir had all but given up on the takedowns and Apodaca changed the momentum completely, backing Mir up and continuing to land long shots. In the third round, Apodaca looked to be pulling away until Mir found a way to the back, but Mir was unable to secure a finish or do much damage to steal the round back.
In the end, Apodaca handed Mir her first loss in MMA, winning a unanimous decision with 29-28 scores on all three judges’ cards, and earning her spot in the UFC.
Guilherme Uriel def. Mario Piazzon
In the penultimate bout of the evening, Guilherme Uriel made the most of his second chance, submitting Mario Piazzon in just 50 seconds to earn his UFC contract.
Uriel fought on Contender Series in 2025, losing to Josh Hokit, a defeat that has aged quite well given all the success Hokit has had in the UFC. He was given a second shot at a UFC contract this week and made himself undeniable, defending an early takedown attempt from Piazzon by locking in a standing arm-in guillotine and squeezing until Piazzon was forced to tap.
Sean Clancy Jr. def. Gary Balletto
In the swing bout of the evening, Sean Clancy Jr. showed why he is such a highly-touted prospect, beating Gary Balletto in all phases of the game before finishing him with strikes in the second round to earn his UFC contract.
The Cage Warriors interim welterweight champion, Clancy is just 23 years old and entered the bout with an 8-0 record with eight finishes. In the first round, the Scottish fighter showcased crisp, long-range striking, picking Balletto apart with kicks. Then, in the second round, Clancy shot an early takedown and dominated on the floor, moving to mount and pounding Balletto with elbows until the referee ended the bout.
Ronald Humphrey def. Alexis Miranda
In the second bout of the evening, Ronald Humphrey proved oddsmakers correct in making him a -1500 favorite as he brutalized Alexis Miranda en route to a first-round submission win and a UFC contract.
Humphrey came out of the gate aggressively, shooting takedowns and bullying Miranda. To his credit, Miranda hung tough and battled back, but things went rapidly downhill after Humphrey dropped him with a jab. From there, Humphrey attacked ferociously, opening a big cut on Miranda’s head and then battering him on the ground until he slipped in a rear-naked choke.
Nick Galanti def. Carlos Petruzzella
In the opening bout of the evening, Nick Galanti had one of the easiest fights of his life, knocking out Carlos Petruzzella in just 35 seconds to earn his spot in the UFC.
A former D-1 football player, Galanti trains with Sean Brady and Joe Pyfer and was highly touted as an athletic grappler, but it was his hands that did the job. After Petruzzella defended an early double-leg takedown, Galanti threw haymakers in the clinch, flooring Petruzzella and then putting him out with follow-up shots.
Check out the full results for Week 3 of Contender Series below.
Alex Apodaca def. Bella Mir via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Guilherme Uriel def. Mario Piazzon via submission (standing guillotine choke) — 0:50, Round 1
Sean Clancy Jr. def. Gary Balletto via TKO (punches) — 3:54, Round 2
Ronald Humphrey def. Alexis Miranda via submission (rear-naked choke) — 4:03, Round 1
Nick Galanti def. Carlos Petruzzella via knockout (punches) — 0:35, Round 1
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