Roxanne Modafferi responds to Nicco Montano being stripped of UFC title
It was just nine months ago that Roxanne Modafferi and Nicco Montano battled for the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight title. Montano would go on to win the belt that night by way of unanimous decision but since that time has yet to defend the strap.
Modafferi would go on to defeat Barb Honchak, another competitor on the Ultimate Fighter Season 26, while Montano sat on the sidelines.
Today Montano was supposed to weigh in for tomorrow night’s UFC 228 pay-per-view co-main event, her first title defense, against Valentina Shevchenko.
The challenger was adamant throughout the week in saying that Montano would not make it to the fight. She was right. Earlier today Montano was rushed to a Dallas area hospital just before weigh-ins and the fight would eventually be removed from the fight card.
UFC President Dana White later stated that Montano would be stripped of the belt and that Shevchenko would fight a challenger to be named for the title later this year.
Modafferi responded this evening while on vacation in Japan. Her best friend and roommate Serena “Southpaw” DeJesus recorded the video for MyMMANews.com.
“Hey guys, it’s Roxy. I’m really bummed out to hear the news that Nicco was unable to fight and she got stripped of the belt also. I hope she’s ok. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know the situation so I can’t really judge, make a statement about that. But, I’m kind of upset that she got stripped of the belt, you know? I feel like other fighters were inactive for longer and did not get stripped of the belt but whatever happened, I hope she gets better and has another chance very soon.”
