Alex Apodaca was expected to be a stepping stone for Bella Mir, but the massive underdog had other plans.
The UFC had been building the 23-year-old Mir, daughter of legend Frank Mir, for years, making her a -6000 favorite against Apodaca, who was 3-1 entering the fight.
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Despite the odds, Apodaca knew what was happening.
"I'm just like the sacrificial lamb being thrown in is kind of the thought that people are thinking, which I was like, that's insane," she told Babcock.
She admitted to moments of doubt, but ultimately believed in herself. "Every once in a while I'd be like, I'm going to win.
I'm going to win. But then I'd look at my coach and be like, 'You think she's really that good?'"
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Apodaca won by unanimous decision, pulling off the stunning upset.
Despite the victory, she refused to trash Mir. "I will say she's good.
I don't want to discredit her or me by saying she's not," she said.
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The win brought her nearly to tears, and then came the coveted UFC contract.
"It's literally dreams.
Like when I was sitting in that cage and like on those chairs and, and I'm like alone in the cage and all these lights are on me, I felt like I was trying not to cry," she recalled.
What's next for Apodaca? Does she quit her 9-to-5 job?
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When does she fight next? Check out the full interview.
