Nicco Montano holding the UFC flyweight title after being crowned the divisions first champion in 2017.
UFC releases former flyweight champion Nicco Montano after another weight miss
Former inaugural UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano has been released by the promotion after missing weight by 7 pounds last weekend. MMA Fighting was first to report the news, which was later confirmed by other media outlets as well.
Montano was most recently scheduled to face Wu Yanana at UFC Vegas 33, but came in at 143 pounds leading to her fight being canceled. Back in 2017, Montano won Season 26 off ‘The Ultimate’ Fighter, where she defeated the likes of Lauren Murphy, Montana De La Rosa, Barb Honchak, and Roxanne Modafferi, who she defeated to win the title. Things would not go so well after her run on TUF, as she only competed once after becoming champion.
Following her championship victory, Nicco Montano would see her next two fights, against Valentina Shevchenko and Sara McMann cancelled for various reasons, including hospitalization for the former champion due to weight cutting issues. She would end up competing against Julianna Pena in July of 2019, where she would lose by unanimous decision.
Her career would take a turn for disaster following the fight against Pena, as Montano would see her next six fights cancelled due to a variety of reasons. In all, Nicco Montano would miss weight in three out of her eight cancelled fights, while trying to compete in both the flyweight and bantamweight divisions. Back in 2019, Montano was also suspended for six months by USADA for use of a banned substance.
After her most recent weight miss this past weekend, UFC President Dana White spoke to the media this week and suggested that “this sport might not be for her” when discussing Nicco Montano.
Dana White reacts to Nicco Montaño coming seven pounds overweight in her scrapped bout against Wu Yanan and her future.
Full interview for @UFCarabia coming soon. pic.twitter.com/RRCKHo1dfh
— Farah Hannoun (@Farah_Hannoun) August 3, 2021
It’s a tough ending to what started off as a promising UFC tenure for the former flyweight champion but after multiple failed weight cuts, and six consecutive fight cancellations between two divisions, the UFC really had no other choice but to release her.
Nicco Montano departs the UFC with a 4-3 professional record, and 1-1 under the promotion.
