UFC releases inaugural women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has parted ways with its inaugural women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano. MMAFighting broke the news on Tuesday.
The news comes on the heals of criticism from UFC president Dana White about Montano’s struggles to make weight and having to withdraw from several bouts. Most recently, Montano weighed in seven pounds over weight for her scheduled UFC Vegas 33 match against Wu Yanan. Due to the weight discrepancy, the bout was removed from the fight card.
“I don’t know off the top of my head, but over three or four of her fights have been canceled,” White said in an interview with MMAJunkie. “I think no matter what weight class you put her at, she seems to have a hard time making weight. This might not be the sport for her.”
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
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Montano appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 26: A New World Champion in 2017 and advanced to the finals to crown the inaugural women’s flyweight champion. She defeated Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision in December 2017 to capture the 125-pound title. She only fought one time in the promotion after that.
Eight times throughout the last four years the fight promotion has hand to cancel or postpone a bout tied to Montano. Six times the cancellation was attributed Montano or her team. Three of the six were due to weight cutting issues. She’s failed to make weight in two separate weight classes.
Montano last fought in July 2019 losing to Julianna Pena by unanimous decision.