The Ultimate Fighter 26 finale is set to go down Friday night, Dec. 1. For the 26th season of the reality show, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has dedicated the season to the newly crafted flyweight division. In Friday night’s big finale, the first flyweight champion will be crowned as the season’s finalist throw down for division supremacy. Now one of the night’s headliners has revealed her story of humble beginnings coming into her battle for the UFC flyweight title.
Sijara Eubanks and Nicco Montano were initially set to face off for the title. However, Eubanks failed to weigh-in for the event and has since been pulled from the card. Invicta veteran Roxanne Modafferi has since stepped up on short notice for the title fight match up.
Speaking to ESPN, Nicco Montano has come forward to reveal what life is like for her and her boyfriend leading up to Friday night’s title fight.
After dropping out of college in 2011, Montano and her significant other moved to New Mexico. From there, Montano trained in mixed martial arts and coached the occasional class. Montano is living in a basement with her boyfriend. The basement leaks when it rains.
“My boyfriend is a fighter too, and we were just training 24/7, coaching when we could,” Montaño explained. “We were probably making, combined, less than $1,000 a month.
“We’re living in a rented basement right now. The windows are tiny. The walls are low. You hit your head on lightbulbs when you walk. And when it rains, water comes in.”
Montano grew up on a Navajo reservation in Arizona. While the fighter had dropped out of school, Montano was accepted to return to school in May when she received an opportunity to try out for The Ultimate Fighter.
Speaking on the tryouts, Montano added:
“There were a lot of girls there who were like, ‘This is my life. I’m a fighter,'” Montaño said. “For me, it was like, ‘Eh, sure. I’ll try out.’ I felt a little guilty feeling like that.”
That being said, Montano’s passion for the opportunity suddenly flared once she was accepted into the TUF house.
“My mindset changed in the house — I can’t pinpoint when, but it did,” Montaño said.
“After I got out of the show, I said the whole thing was a sign. Having to choose between school and TUF, going through that process, watching myself grow on TV — it was like, ‘Yeah, man, you’re the s—.’ That was something I said during camp, ‘Either own this or keep denying it for whatever reason.’ I’m definitely on board with it now.”
All of that in mind, Montano is now set for the highest profile fight of her mixed martial arts career, as the fighter will be going toe-to-toe with Roxanne Modafferi at the TUF 26 finale for the belt. The event will be broadcast live on FS1. The main card kicks off at 10 p.m. ET.
