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 on December 16, 1988, is an American mixed martial artist. She used to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and made history as the very first UFC Women's Flyweight Champion.
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About Nicco Montaño
Nicco Montaño was born in Lukachukai, Arizona. Her family background includes Navajo, Chickasaw, and Hispanic heritage. She finished high school in 2006 and then went to college. She studied at Arizona State University and Diné College before finding her passion for martial arts at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
Nicco started training in boxing when she was young. Later, she began learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu. By 2013, she had become a professional mixed martial arts fighter.
Nicco's MMA Journey
Before becoming a professional, Nicco Montaño had a perfect record of 5 wins and 0 losses as an amateur fighter. She made her professional debut in November 2015. She competed mostly for an organization called King of the Cage, where she won the KOTC Women's Flyweight Championship. After building a record of 3 wins and 2 losses, she joined the TV show The Ultimate Fighter 26 in 2017.
The Ultimate Fighter Show
In August 2017, Nicco Montaño was chosen to be on The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion. This show brings together fighters to compete for a chance to join the UFC.
In her first fight on the show, Nicco faced experienced UFC fighter Lauren Murphy. Nicco won the fight by a unanimous decision after two rounds.
For the quarterfinals, Nicco fought Montana Stewart. She won this fight too, again by a unanimous decision after two rounds.
In the semifinals, Nicco went up against Barb Honchak, who was a former champion in another fighting organization. Nicco won this tough fight by a unanimous decision after three rounds, earning her spot in the finals.
Becoming a UFC Champion
Nicco Montaño was set to fight Sijara Eubanks for the very first UFC Women's Flyweight Championship title at the The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale on December 1, 2017. However, Eubanks had to pull out of the fight because of health issues while trying to make weight. Roxanne Modafferi stepped in to replace her.
Nicco won the fight against Roxanne Modafferi by a unanimous decision. This victory 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 on September 8, 2018, at UFC 228. However, before the weigh-ins, Nicco had to go to the hospital because of problems with her weight cut. The fight was canceled, and Nicco was later stripped of her UFC Women's Flyweight title.
Later UFC Fights
After losing her title, Nicco Montaño continued to compete in the UFC. She was scheduled to fight Sara McMann in July 2019, but McMann got injured. Julianna Peña replaced McMann, and Nicco lost that fight by a unanimous decision.
Nicco faced several challenges with scheduled fights after that. She had to pull out of a fight against Macy Chiasson in February 2020 due to an injury. Later, a fight against Julia Avila was rescheduled multiple times due to various reasons, including a coach testing positive for COVID-19, Nicco testing positive for COVID-19, and travel restrictions. This fight eventually did not happen.
In 2021, Nicco was scheduled to fight Karol Rosa and later Wu Yanan. However, the fight against Wu Yanan was canceled because Nicco missed weight by a significant amount. On August 3, 2021, Nicco Montaño was released from the UFC.
Achievements and Awards
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Women's Flyweight Champion (One time, first ever)
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Roxanne Modafferi
- UFC.com Awards
- 2017: Ranked #6 Newcomer of the Year
Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 7 matches | 4 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 3 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 4–3 | Julianna Peña | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: de Randamie vs. Ladd | July 13, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | Returned to Bantamweight. |
| Win | 4–2 | Roxanne Modafferi | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion Finale | December 1, 2017 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won the first ever UFC Women's Flyweight Championship. Won The Ultimate Fighter 26 Women's Flyweight Tournament. Earned Fight of the Night bonus. Nicco was stripped of the title on September 7, 2018. |
| Loss | 3–2 | Julia Avila | Decision (unanimous) | HD MMA 7: Avila vs. Montaño | January 7, 2017 | 5 | 5:00 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | For the HD MMA Women's Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–1 | Jamie Milanowski | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Social Disorder | October 8, 2016 | 4 | 4:34 | Sloan, Iowa, United States | Won the vacant KOTC Women's Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 2–1 | Shana Dobson | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: Will Power | August 13, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | First fight at Flyweight. |
| Loss | 1–1 | Pam Sorenson | Decision (split) | KOTC: Frozen War | February 20, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Walker, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Stacey Sigala | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Evolution | November 20, 2015 | 1 | 4:15 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | First fight at Bantamweight. |
Mixed Martial Arts Exhibition Record
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 3 matches | 3 wins | 0 losses |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 3–0 | Barb Honchak | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion | November 22, 2017 (air date) | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | TUF 26 Semi-Finals. |
| Win | 2–0 | Montana De La Rosa | Decision (unanimous) | November 15, 2017 (air date) | 2 | 5:00 | TUF 26 Quarter-Finals. | ||
| Win | 1–0 | Lauren Murphy | Decision (unanimous) | September 20, 2017 (air date) | 2 | 5:00 | TUF 26 preliminary round. |
See also
In Spanish: Nicco Montaño para niños
- List of female mixed martial artists
