Bella Mir claims NCAA women's wrestling national title

Daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir stuns No. 1 seed to win first national championship

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Bella Mir, the daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir, claimed her first NCAA women's wrestling national title on Saturday with a dominant victory over No. 1 seed Reese Larramendy from Iowa. Mir, who previously finished as the runner-up in 2025, pinned Larramendy in the first period to cap off an impressive performance in her final collegiate match.

Why it matters

Mir is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in women's wrestling and plans to eventually transition to a professional MMA career. Her national title win caps off a successful collegiate career and sets her up for potential Olympic aspirations and a promising future in combat sports.

The details

Mir came out firing on all cylinders against Larramendy, who had previously handed her only loss of the season. She scored an early takedown and then quickly reversed a Larramendy attempt to pin her shoulders to the mat and end the match before the first period expired. Mir's victory avenged her earlier loss to Larramendy and gave her the NCAA title she had been chasing.

  • Mir finished as the runner-up in the NCAA women's wrestling championships in 2025.
  • The 2026 NCAA women's wrestling championships took place on March 8, 2026.

The players

Bella Mir

The daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir, Bella Mir is a top prospect in women's wrestling who claimed her first NCAA national title in her final collegiate match.

Reese Larramendy

The No. 1 seed from Iowa, Larramendy was the defending champion and had previously handed Mir her only loss of the season before falling to her in the finals.

Frank Mir

The UFC legend was in the corner cheering on his daughter Bella as she claimed the NCAA women's wrestling national title.

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What they’re saying

“I think I was just not in the right mindset. When you have fans and teammates like that, how in the hell do I lose?”

— Bella Mir (yahoo.com)

What’s next

With her NCAA title in hand, Mir plans to focus on representing the United States at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles before transitioning to a professional MMA career, where she already holds a 4-0 record.

The takeaway

Bella Mir's NCAA championship victory is a testament to her talent and perseverance, as she avenged her only loss of the season to claim the title in her final collegiate match. Her success sets her up for a promising future in both wrestling and MMA, where she is poised to become one of the top young stars in combat sports.