The Contender Series has platformed many future UFC stars and propelled them to greatness, with Alex Apodaca hoping to be the latest to join that list.
The bantamweight made headlines last month by pulling off the biggest betting upset in the history of Dana White’s Contender Series. Apodaca entered her clash with a significant +1200 underdog status hanging over her head, with almost everyone expecting the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, Bella Mir, to walk away with a one-sided victory and a subsequent UFC contract.
Instead, Alex Apodaca won a unanimous decision and was immediately offered a spot on the UFC roster by Dana White. However, Apodaca didn’t waste too much time celebrating her life-changing performance. Having only been a professional for two and a half years, the Texan refused to overcommit to mixed martial arts, instead continuing to work her regular 9-to-5 job with sights set on securing her future away from fighting.
Alex Apodaca spoke to Ariel Helwani about her decision, saying:
“Yeah, of course [I’ve been back to work since winning a UFC contract],” Apodaca said. “Okay? Come on. I want to have a 401k and, you know, good insurance and that kind of thing.”
Keeping a level head, Alex Apodaca becomes the latest to join the UFC women’s bantamweight division, currently dominated by Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison. The weight class is stacked with hardened veterans and future champions, so Apodaca will have no shortage of willing challengers waiting for her throughout her UFC debut and beyond.
Apodaca knows that, if her career goes well, she may one day have to decide whether to continue working or alter the way she earns a living away from punching people in the face.
“I think I might have to make the decision or change how I do it, right?” Apodaca continued. “Like, maybe it’s not a full-time position anymore, or maybe, you know, the hours are more flexible. They’ve really provided me with a lot of flexibility. I have this thing called an alternative work arrangement. And for two hours of the day, I get to just go leave and train, and that’s so cool. I don’t really know any other companies that would do that, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed for so long, because they’ve been so flexible.”
“They’ve been so cool with me. They’re okay with me showing up to work looking like this, you know what I mean?”
While keeping the specific name of her employer private, Apodaca has confirmed that she works a full-time job as a consultant and manager at a high-level accounting firm. The UFC contract hasn’t altered her day-to-day life at her job, as she famously attended a 7:30 AM work video call the morning after her UFC-contract-winning performance.
Alex Apodaca gets the UD victory 😤 https://t.co/DwbbAix0Oy pic.twitter.com/zXaQoVcGHK
— UFC (@ufc) August 26, 2026
The 32-year-old wants to remain a key figure at her job for as long as possible, all while juggling a career at the highest level of combat sports.
“For a while I was like, oh gosh, I’m pouring so much into this MMA thing. I hope that they don’t think that I don’t care about my work here,” Apodaca stated. “As long as I’m working outside of fighting, [I want to stay with my accounting firm].”
Alex Apodaca later confirmed that a defeat to Bella Mir and a potential rejection from the UFC wouldn’t have diminished her hopes of competing in mixed martial arts.
“Yeah, I think [I would still fight if I lost to Bella Mir]. The whole idea was like, okay, when I took this fight, I was like, ‘I’m not going to let anything deter me.’ And I know that this is a big challenge, right? Going and fighting Bella Mir. She’s got all the accolades in the world and she’s a good fighter.”
“I was nervous, but I knew that if I go out there and I just make some statement somehow, right? Like, if I go out there and put up a fight, that is, that’s a lot. That’s saying a lot. I wanted to see. I always say every fight is kind of like a test, a little bit. It’s like, ‘What am I capable of?'”
“I wanna have a 401k and good insurance.”
Alex Apodaca explains why she’s already back at her full-time job after earning a UFC contract. pic.twitter.com/IDlaYGsYxi
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 1, 2026