Alex Apodaca: Historic DWCS upset of Bella Mir feels like 'fever dream'

LAS VEGAS – Alex Apodaca spoiled the party on Tuesday night, recording one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.

Apodaca (4-1) was given basically no chance by oddsmakers to win her main event bout at Dana White's Contender Series 89. Having just taken up MMA in her mid-20s, Apodaca was tasked with facing prodigy Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, who entered the fight as a -6000 favorite and was expected to make quick work of Apodaca.

To the surprise of many but not Apodaca, she defeated Mir by clear unanimous decision.

"This sh*t's crazy," Apodaca said at the DWCS 89 post-fight interview. "I was totally alarmed by the whole thing. I was kind of expecting it, but the actual reality of it hasn't hit, I don't think. So it kind of feels like a fever dream."

Mir won the first round against Apodaca and went on to lose the final two, according to the judges. Despite dropping Round 1, it was then that Apodaca realized she was going to pull off the greatest upset in Contender Series history.

"Yeah, once at the end of the first round when I ended up on top, I knew it then," Apodaca said. "Yeah, I did. I could feel it. And I could also tell, like, she hadn't been in the second and third round much, and that's where I live."

Apodaca, 32, believes 23-year-old Mir was simply too young and inexperienced for the moment. Apodaca, who plans to keep working full time as an accountant, thinks having faced adversity in life and previous fights really helped her pull through for the win.

"Yes, absolutely, and also I experienced those deep waters like so much in training," Apodaca said. "I put myself into some of the darkest places just so that, you know, when it comes in the fight, it's nothing new. I don't want it to be the first time I felt that."

Now in the UFC having won a contract with the promotion, Apodaca hopes this upset win sends a clear message to the oddsmakers and the whole MMA community.

"I don't want to be overlooked anymore," Apodaca said. "I think that I did prove that tonight. I've been the underdog the last three fights, I think, which is fine. Underdog City. But I think that people now will understand that I'm more of a threat than they thought."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alex Apodaca: Historic DWCS upset of Bella Mir feels like 'fever dream'