Nicco Montano and former UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Germaine De Randamie both have something in common, which is that they were both stripped of their respective titles before defending them for the first time.
Aaron Bronsteter of TSN is reporting that the UFC has stripped Montano of the UFC Women’s Flyweight Title.
Montano won the title back at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale and never defended the gold due to a variety of health issues. Montano was scheduled to defend the gold against Valentina Shevchenko tomorrow night at UFC 228, but was pulled from the fight due to “health concerns.”
UFC President Dana White has also informed TSN that Shevchenko will face a yet to be announced opponent for the vacant title, a date for that bout is currently unknown.
White would also appear on the UFC 228 weigh-in show on Fox Sports 1, saying the following about the title situation:
“The belt becomes vacated, so the title is vacated. Obviously Shevchenko is dying to fight for this title. So we’re in the process right now of trying to make another fight before the end of the year.”
Shevchenko is currently ranked number one on the UFC Women’s Flyweight Division, with Sijara Eubanks (#2), Katlyn Chookagian (#3), Roxanne Modafferi (#4) and Alexis Davis (#5) rounding out the weight classes top five in the official UFC rankings.
There has been no comment yet from Montano or her camp on the fighters newly found status of being a former champion.
