Frank Mir wants his retirement from combat sports to be a special moment.
For Mir (19-13), that doesn’t mean making it all about him. He’s not looking for some big selfish moment. In fact, he wants to share the spotlight with his daughter, Bella Mir.
Mir, a two-time UFC heavyweight champion who hasn’t competed in MMA since a unanimous decision win over Roy Nelson at Bellator 231 in October 2019, is looking to put a bow on his career in 2023.
Nothing would make him happier than to bow out from competition on the same card as Bella, who at 19 is already 3-0 and arguably the biggest prospect in women’s MMA.
As Bella looks to flourish in her own career, her father is taking a critical role as a coach and mentor. Mir, 43, has said his daughter has potential to be greater than he ever was, and he thinks a farewell fight packaged alongside Bella’s next bout would a unique next step.
“Next year, I’m going to go ahead and fight again because I want to fight once on the same card as Bella as my last fight,” Mir told the “Thiccc Boy” podcast with Brendan Schaub. “She can headline the card. I can open it. How many times is that going to happen in history? Barring lightning striking or a car accident or something retarded, Bella is UFC champ, or champ of whatever league she wants to join. It’s a no-brainer.”
Bella made her MMA debut as a 17-year-old. She picked up two wins in two months, but then took an 18-month hiatus while she focused on wrestling competition and other elements of her game. She returned in June and picked up a first-round submission win.
The fourth fight of Bella’s career has yet to be scheduled, but so far she’s shown big potential. Mir said it’s not a question of if his daughter will be great, but exactly how great she will be. In his mind, there’s no ceiling, and he’s ready to throw his full attention behind that following a final retirement bout.
“It’s like me when I look at Bo Nickal,” Mir said. “I’m like, ‘What do you think is going to happen to that guy?’ I’m like, ‘He’s the champion, dude. Lose weight or get a bigger weight class.'”
