Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Hours after missing weight for her now-canceled Ultimate Fighting Championship fight this
weekend, bantamweight Nicco
Montano wanted to clear the air. Montano was set to face Yanan Wu at
UFC on ESPN 28 on July 31 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but the
former flyweight champ hit the scales at 143 pounds, or seven above
the division’s cap. Upon evaluation, the promotion and commission
promptly pulled the bout from the card. Montano previously lost her
125-pound title ahead of UFC 228 in 2018, when she was hospitalized
due to her weight cut and it was stripped from her.
Montano posted a statement on Instagram about what
happened to cause this issue:
“Hi all of my supporters. I wanted to give a [PSA] on what
happened. I was dedicated through camp to this fight, training four
hours a day, including my fasted 4-5 mile runs and unfortunately
after years of cutting hard [my] metabolic system is not catching
up with what efforts I’ve been putting in.
“So I’ve been eating less for my workout sessions, training up
until I had to come to the quarantine bubble and had to start my
cut pretty high. I have done this cut before but unfortunately it
just didn’t work out this time around. I think the most important
thing for me to do is focus on getting my weight down
healthily.
“Believe me I didn’t want this to happen and did everything in my
power to make sure it didn’t but sometimes life kicks you in the
balls over and over and over. But I’m learning that it’s only
making me stronger and more resilient for what’s to come.
“And I only hope that anyone going through a rough patch in their
lives does what I do, pick yourself up and believe in yourself to
get through the tough times because there’s gonna be plenty more
but patience is key in becoming the best version you can be.”
Montano also thanked those involved in her camp, writing, “I also
want to say thank you to everyone at the UFC [Performance
Institute] and [Syndicate MMA] for believing in me and helping me
get to this fight with more love and support than anyone could ask
for. I truly felt the best I’ve ever felt going into this
fight.”
Montano made her organizational debut in 2017, when she won the
inaugural flyweight strap from the 26th season of “The Ultimate
Fighter” by taking on replacement foe Roxanne
Modafferi – her original opponent Sijara
Eubanks fell ill due to her own weight cutting complications.
After the aforementioned UFC 228 situation, Montano moved up to
bantamweight and failed a drug test for ostarine.
After returning from suspension, Montano faced future UFC title
challenger Julianna
Pena and lost a decision in July 2019. Since then, she has been
linked to six bouts against Macy
Chiasson, Julia Avila,
Karol
Rosa and Wu. Five of those matches fell through due to Montano,
including an injury, COVID-19, passport issues, a failed medical
clearance and now the weight miss on Friday.
