Nicco Montaño facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nicco Montaño |
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| Born | Nicco Montaño December 16, 1988 Lukachukai, Arizona, United States |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Weight | 125 lb (57 kg) |
| Division | Flyweight (2016–2018) Bantamweight (2015–2016, 2019–present) |
| Reach | 65 in (165 cm) |
| Style | Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Team | Fit NHB (2015–2019) Jackson Wink MMA Academy (2019) Syndicate MMA (2020–present) |
| Rank | Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Chris Jones |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 7 |
| Wins | 4 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By decision | 3 |
Nicco Montaño (born December 16, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist. She used to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Nicco made history as the very first UFC Women's Flyweight Champion.
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About Nicco Montaño
Nicco Montaño was born on December 16, 1988, in Lukachukai, Arizona. Her family background includes Navajo, Chickasaw, and Hispanic roots. She finished high school in 2006. Later, she went to different colleges before finding her passion for martial arts at Fort Lewis College in Colorado.
Nicco started training in boxing when she was young. She then learned Brazilian jiu-jitsu before becoming a professional mixed martial artist in 2013.
Her Mixed Martial Arts Journey
Before turning professional, Nicco had a great amateur career with five wins and no losses. She began her professional mixed martial arts journey in November 2015.
She fought mostly for a group called King of the Cage. There, she won the KOTC Women's Flyweight Championship. After building a record of three wins and two losses, she joined a special TV show called The Ultimate Fighter 26 in 2017.
Becoming a Champion on The Ultimate Fighter
In August 2017, Nicco was chosen to be on The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion. This show brings fighters together to compete for a chance to join the UFC.
In her first fight on the show, Nicco faced an experienced UFC fighter named Lauren Murphy. Nicco won this fight. She also won her next two fights against Montana Stewart and Barb Honchak. This meant she reached the finals of the tournament.
Fighting in the UFC
Nicco was supposed to fight Sijara Eubanks for the first-ever UFC Women's Flyweight Championship title. This big fight was set for December 1, 2017, at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale. However, Sijara Eubanks had to pull out of the fight. Roxanne Modafferi stepped in to fight Nicco instead.
Nicco won the fight against Roxanne Modafferi. This made her the first-ever UFC Women's Flyweight Champion! She also earned a "Fight of the Night" bonus for her exciting performance. After her win, Nicco shared how much the prize money meant to her, saying she could now afford a better place to live and good food for her cats.
Nicco was scheduled to defend her title against Valentina Shevchenko in September 2018. However, before the fight, Nicco had to go to the hospital because of issues with making weight. Because of this, the fight was canceled, and Nicco was no longer the UFC Women's Flyweight Champion.
In 2019, Nicco faced a temporary suspension for a substance found in her system. She was able to fight again in May 2019.
Later, Nicco had several fights scheduled that had to be canceled. Some were due to injuries, others because of COVID-19 issues or travel problems. In one instance, her fight was canceled because she had trouble making weight.
On August 3, 2021, Nicco Montaño was released from the UFC.
Championships and Awards
Nicco Montaño has achieved some great things in her mixed martial arts career:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Women's Flyweight Champion (She was the first one!)
- Fight of the Night (One time, for her fight against Roxanne Modafferi)
- UFC.com Awards
- 2017: Ranked #6 Newcomer of the Year
See also
In Spanish: Nicco Montaño para niños
- List of female mixed martial artists
