Nicco Montano Has An Opponent In Mind For First Title Defense
Nicco Montano became the first ever UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion by defeating Roxanne Modafferi by decision at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale.
There are a lot of credible opponents for Montano to defend the title against first, but she has already set those sights on an challenger.
“I laugh it off,” Montano said on The MMA Hour. “Some people don’t have the best attitude or sportsmanship, especially when it comes to fighting. But I feel like – like I’m not scared, I’m absolutely not scared, but I definitely think that they should be able to show what they can do at ‘25 before getting a chance to fight for a title. ‘Sarge’ (Sijara Eubanks), even though she didn’t make weight, we can’t forget she made the weight three times in a six-week period (during the Ultimate Fighter 26 tournament). So she can make the weight. It was just a hard process right after the show, everyone went home, went back to their regular diet so their body wasn’t used to it after that six-week period and then it was kind of hard to bounce back given the amount of time that we had. I’m definitely not scared because it’s the name of the game. You want to fight the best so that you can prove to everybody else that you are the best, but right now the best is not Shevchenko at ‘25. She hasn’t fought at that weight. It’s not Paige VanZant, she hasn’t fought at that weight either. So I think it’s pretty silly and I’m a person who wants fair fights and so I just don’t think they are deserving of it right now.”
The two were supposed to meet in the finals at the TUF 26 Finale, but Eubanks withdrew the day before the show due to the effects of weight cutting.
Despite the previous failed weight cut, it is Montano who thinks that Eubanks should get another opportunity.
“I’m a pretty fair fighter and I do think that Sarge can make it,” Montano said. “I would like it to be Sarge, I think she deserves another chance. She made it through six weeks of hell doing that. I was there watching, I was there partaking in that six-week period, so I know how much heart she has and how much she’s wanting this.”
Montano is currently preparing to have surgery done on her injured foot and it is unknown when the champion will compete again.
