Bella Mir vs. Stephanie Calderon: Rising Legacies Collide at Fury Challenger Series 14
At just 21 years old, Bella Mir is already making waves in the world of combat sports—and not just because she’s the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Set to fight Stephanie Calderon in a bantamweight bout at Fury Challenger Series 14 in Houston, Texas, Bella is continuing to carve her own path, balancing elite-level grappling, NCAA wrestling, and the spotlight of being the UFC’s first-ever NIL athlete.
“Fury is awesome,” Mir said. “A lot of fighters that fought out of Fury end up in the UFC, so they’re obviously doing something right… hopefully I can keep fighting for them in the future.”
Now training out of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where she wrestles collegiately, Bella says the decision to pursue college came with encouragement from Dana White himself. “He really pushed college wrestling… he said, ‘I want you to go get your college degree. I want you to wrestle and try to wrestle for the Olympics before you come to the UFC.’ So of course I’m going to listen to him.”
Mir, who earned her fourth IBJJF national title this year, sees herself as more than just a grappler or wrestler. “I kind of feel like myself as just like a martial artist that competes,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to accomplish NCAA titles and world titles in wrestling and ADCC and IBJJF world titles in jiu jitsu—and obviously UFC titles for MMA.”
She enters this bout after winning her UFC BJJ debut on a Wednesday, then capturing an IBJJF national title just two days later. “I didn’t really like tell anyone I was going to compete again… I definitely had the confidence.”
Across the cage stands Stephanie Calderon—a 2-0 pro fighter and a rising name herself. Known as “Stone Cold Steph,” Calderon is stepping up on short notice to take the fight after Bella’s original opponent, Olivia, withdrew due to injury. But for Calderon, opportunity is everything.
“Me and Bella are in a similar space right now where nobody wants to fight us,” she said. “She’s a risky 3-0. I’m a risky 2-0… we’re having the same issue right now. When her original opponent Olivia got injured… Eric [Garcia] from Fury called my coach and we were just like, ‘Yo, hell yeah, we’re in.’”
Calderon, who trains out of Tampa but is originally from New York, said she’s always risen to the occasion. “I thrive in chaos… there’s a different side of me when I get out there. When the lights turn on, who you see here right now is Stephanie, but out there, it’s different.”
She’s also not shy about what this opportunity means. “In my heart, I don’t feel I lose this fight… regardless of what happens, the right eyes are going to be on me… this is going to put me where I want to be.”
Calderon, who has goals of making it to the UFC, sees this bout as a launching point. “Truth be told, in my heart I feel two more [fights] and I’m in… maybe a Contender Series fight after this. If it goes even better than I think, I feel I’m in.”
The matchup offers a classic striker vs. grappler dynamic. “My knockouts are all on the feet… most of her finishes are on the ground,” Calderon said. “I want it to stay on the feet, but I can handle myself in any situation.”
But beyond the clash of styles is a meeting of legacies—one fighter building on a famous name, the other creating her own.
“If I had a message to her,” Calderon said, “Let’s put on a f***ing show. Thank you for the opportunity. And with all due respect, it’s time for some new legacy in this thing.”