"MMA has gotten so big, and the UFC has gotten so big, especially with kids and people who grow up not having a basketball court outside their house, not having any sort of playground," Montano said. "All you got are your cousins to wrestle with. So making a career out of that playfulness and being amplified on TV like that is what caught their attention."
Her speech at the parade was designed to express her pride in and solidarity with the audience, with all those who had walked and driven long distances to be part of it. She delivered the speech in Navajo. She had learned the complex language in part through her grandfathers, who worked as World War II code talkers.
Her speech at the parade was designed to express her pride in and solidarity with the audience, with all those who had walked and driven long distances to be part of it. She delivered the speech in Navajo. She had learned the complex language in part through her grandfathers, who worked as World War II code talkers.
From that speech forward, the die was truly cast.
"I think that made them think 'We can do this,'" she said. "There are traditional people who still live traditionally, live off the land, live in harmony with the land, who don't have a job, who still barter and live off of handshakes and word of mouth. The Navajo language might be gone in 20 years. Soon it will be gone. ... So when I did that, it really motivated them."
It motivated Montano too. It lit a fire in her, she said, to do more work like this, spreading her story to her own community and beyond.
Navajo Nation is roughly the size of West Virginia, stretching 25,000 square miles across Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Its Eastern end touches the Grand Canyon, and though its trademark is that arid red clay, snowy forests grow at its highest altitudes.
When Nicco Montano steps into the Octagon on Saturday night to defend her flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 228, she will do so as a massive underdog.
While a champion not being favored isn't anything new, few have made the walk to defend their title facing as steep odds as Montano will this weekend in Dallas, as many critics foresee Saturday’s bout as a fait accompli. From the moment the 29-year-old champion claimed the belt back in December, people have discussed her title reign as if it has an expiration date, believing that she is simply keeping the flyweight throne warm for Shevchenko.
Treating her like a transitional champion and paying little attention to the path Montano took in order to etch her name in the history books as the division’s inaugural titleholder is a slight against the Albuquerque-based standout and a missed opportunity to shine the spotlight on an incredible story that transcends the Octagon and the sport of mixed martial arts.
Montano was born in LeChee, Arizona, a speck of a town located in the northwest corner of the Navajo Nation reservation.
She is the first Native American champion in UFC history and instantly became a role model and inspirational figure for indigenous people throughout the United States and beyond by reaching the biggest stage in the sport and claiming the title.
There is no way to downplay what kind of impact Montano’s success can and will have within a community that is lacking representation throughout the mainstream sports and media world.
Last month at UFC 227, Montano spoke about the time she’s spent back homeland and what it means for the youth of the Navajo Nation to see someone, who grew up in the same circumstances they’re facing, make their dreams come true.
“It’s huge for the kids there to know that they can become whoever they want to become if they stay dedicated and happy about the path that they choose,” she said. “Some of them still live in hogans, some of them don’t see shiny things. In hogans, you live on a dirt floor, so, seeing something bright like (the UFC belt) made them smile."
She added: “There’s not a lot of people that I feel like they can trust and listen to because there are a lot of people that want them to become more Westernized – it’s not even modernized, it’s Westernized in culture aspects – but I feel like that’s what makes me stronger, that’s my strength is my culture and traditions. So, I want them to realize that they don’t need to assimilate to anything or any assumptions of how they should be acting out of the rest; just be truthful and honest.”
The mesas burst out of the dirt like giant tombstones, so weathered and cracked that the names are worn away. It's hard to decide what's more foreboding: the undying belt sander of nature or the titanic fists of rock that resist it. Nothing makes a person feel smaller than driving a lone highway toward a looming mesa, the sky so vast it distorts distance.
No one has to wonder why Montano feels a kinship with this land. It's a beauty anyone would feel glad to have at their back.
Growing up here, young Nicco spent lots of time watching her father, Frank, work and train in the boxing gym he owned. They didn't have an exceptionally close relationship, but what relationship they did have occurred in his gym. She was 16 when he died.
That part of her fell away for a while. College took her to Durango, New Mexico, where she practiced jiu-jitsu for fun. She was good. She had never boxed before but was not completely uninitiated given her time in the boxing gym. Some kind of MMA encounter was inevitable.
She was good at that, too. Maybe too good. When it came time to try her hand at real competition, there was still a bug in her system: She was afraid of getting hit.
So she hatched a very simple plan: Don't get hit. And so it went. Montano won her first MMA fight without taking—or landing—a single punch.
"I always said I didn't want to punch anybody," Montano said. "They were like 'You can break somebody's arm [with jiu-jitsu], what's the difference?' When it comes to making somebody bloody, or hitting them so hard they see stars, that's the part I thought was brutal at first. I was absolutely fearful when I started MMA. I didn't want to get knocked out."
"I always said I didn't want to punch anybody," Montano said. "They were like 'You can break somebody's arm [with jiu-jitsu], what's the difference?' When it comes to making somebody bloody, or hitting them so hard they see stars, that's the part I thought was brutal at first. I was absolutely fearful when I started MMA. I didn't want to get knocked out."
Of course, that wasn't sustainable if she was going to be serious about this, and after deeper immersion in standup training, she began to lose her fear and respect the artistry of striking.
That experience was another chance to apply the lessons of her background: face fear, understand the problem, persevere.
Natives track well behind nearly all the population in key areas like income, education and employment, while they experience higher rates of health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. In 2014, Natives had an infant mortality rate 60 percent higher than Caucasians.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 34 percent of Native children lived in poverty in 2016, higher than any other race. A 2012 survey revealed more than a quarter of all Natives live in poverty, the second-highest percentage among all races behind blacks.
Natives track well behind nearly all the population in key areas like income, education and employment, while they experience higher rates of health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. In 2014, Natives had an infant mortality rate 60 percent higher than Caucasians.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 34 percent of Native children lived in poverty in 2016, higher than any other race. A 2012 survey revealed more than a quarter of all Natives live in poverty, the second-highest percentage among all races behind blacks.
Drug use and crime are rampant, compounded by the extreme isolation of many Native communities from law enforcement and similar services.
She's reluctant to give details because she doesn't want to seem exploitative, but Montano recalled the scarcity of electricity and running water in her home growing up, of wrapping plastic bags around her shoes when it rained.
"We had to work for everything," Montano said. "Now I can say it was rewarding. It sucked when I was a kid. We had to work for every little thing."
It wasn't glamorous, but glamour and beauty are two different things. Montano learned which one she preferred and came to love it.
"Working for everything is beautiful. It's because of the land itself," she said. "There's so much to appreciate, especially when it comes to our culture."
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2778848-nicco-montao-ufcs-first-native-champ-has-a-story-you-need-to-hear
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2778848-nicco-montao-ufcs-first-native-champ-has-a-story-you-need-to-hear
"Fighting Spirit is not about winning, it’s about fighting – and you’re going to see me fight."@NiccoMontano shows what drives her #FightingSpirit
At a time when representation is a major issue in society, here is Montano, setting an incredible example for a historically under-represented population and embracing her role as an ambassador for her community.
While every fighter has a story, hers is one that hasn’t been told at this level before or told in very many arenas at all in the past and it should be celebrated and broadcast at full volume.
If Darren Till’s journey from the hard streets of Liverpool to becoming a contender in the UFC welterweight division can be told in advance of his homecoming showdown with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson back in May, the path Montano has taken and the inspiration she provides to indigenous people everywhere deserves to be in the spotlight this week as well.
But it’s not just her heritage that makes Montano someone who should not be overlooked as UFC 228 draws nearer.
When the cast for Season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter was announced, there were myriad familiar names that jumped out as competitors with the potential to win the tournament and become the first ever female flyweight champion.
Pioneer Roxanne Modafferi had re-invented herself under the tutelage of John Wood at Syndicate MMA and impressed inside the Invicta FC cage, entering the competition as the No. 1 seed.
Returning after a lengthy hiatus, second seed Barb Honchak ruled Invicta’s flyweight division before pressing pause on her career, but many envisioned “The Little Warrior” picking up right where she left off.
While she had mixed results fighting at bantamweight in the UFC, Lauren Murphy brought a wealth of high-level experience and battle-forged tenacity to the table as the third seed, while fighters like DeAnna Bennett, Montana De La Rosa (nee Stewart) and Rachael Ostovich-Berdon stood as recognizable talents who could potentially make a Cinderella-like run to the semifinals or beyond depending on how things shook out in the bracket.
Montano was the No. 14 seed and sent to Team Gaethje when Eddie Alvarez made Murphy the third overall selection, behind Honchak, whom he took with the first pick, and Modafferi, whom Justin Gaethje selected as the first member of his squad. She was 3-2, coming off a loss and had to be convinced by her coaches to audition for the long-running reality TV competition.
She beat Murphy by unanimous decision in the Round of 16 and did the same to De La Rosa in the quarterfinals before securing her opportunity to fight for the title by outworking Honchak in the semis.
Originally scheduled to face fellow unexpected finalist Sijara Eubanks, who took out the other half of the Top 6 on her way to the championship finale, Montano was thrown a curveball the day before the biggest fight of her career. While everyone else was weighing in, Eubanks was in the hospital, dealing with complications from her weight cut, resulting in the UFC elevating Modafferi from her “bronze medal” matchup with Honchak to fight for the title.
Montano took it in stride, navigating through a couple scares on the ground to score a unanimous decision victory and claim the flyweight title.
All told, she beat the top three seeds in the tournament as well as the sixth seed in order to claim the title, overcoming her underdog status in all four matchups with very little resistance.
Her victory over Modafferi in December may not have been as lopsided and emphatic as Shevchenko’s mauling of Priscila Cachoeira in Brazil, but in terms of the “degree of difficulty,” it was a much more daunting assignment than the one the challenger faced in order to earn her shot at the title this weekend.
Say what you will about UFC titles being devalued or her paltry professional record, but the fact of the matter is Montano handedly beat a quartet of talented, more experienced opponents en route to winning the women’s flyweight title back in December and it’s an achievement that merits recognition.
Even if you believe that Shevchenko will leave Dallas as the new champion, that doesn’t mean what Montano has done to this point should be overlooked.
And in a sport where similar stories are told prior to every event and narratives are recycled and repurposed on the regular, Montano stands as someone who has traveled a very different path and represents a massive community who would benefit immensely from seeing one of their own enjoying a well-deserved turn in the spotlight before stepping into the Octagon on Saturday night.
http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/mma/news/ufc-228-overlooking-nicco-montano-is-a-massive-mistake/ddvt54e4qbp1bmnkf21zn1dl
| Main Card | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
| Welterweight | Tyron Woodley (c) | vs. | Darren Till | [a] | |||
| Women's Strawweight | Jéssica Andrade | vs. | Karolina Kowalkiewicz | ||||
| Featherweight | Zabit Magomedsharipov | vs. | Brandon Davis | ||||
| Bantamweight | Jimmie Rivera | vs. | John Dodson | ||||
| Welterweight | Abdul Razak Alhassan | vs. | Niko Price | ||||
| Preliminary Card (FX) | |||||||
| Women's Strawweight | Tatiana Suarez | def. | Carla Esparza | TKO (elbows) | 3 | 4:33 | |
| Bantamweight | Aljamain Sterling | def. | Cody Stamann | Submission (modified kneebar) | 2 | 3:42 | |
| Welterweight | Geoff Neal | def. | Frank Camacho | KO (head kick) | 2 | 1:23 | |
| Middleweight | Darren Stewart | def. | Charles Byrd | Submission (tickle torture) | 2 | 2:17 | |
| Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass) | |||||||
| Welterweight | Diego Sanchez | def. | Craig White | Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Lightweight | Jim Miller | def. | Alex White | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 1 | 1:29 | |
| Women's Bantamweight | Irene Aldana | def. | Lucie Pudilová | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
| Flyweight | Jarred Brooks | def. | Roberto Sanchez | Decision (split) (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) | 3 | 5:00 | |
One shouldn't compare Montano to Cruz
Cruz was legit, had a long track record of success and title defenses, among other things.
that being said, the ufc let cruz hold that belt too long while injured, and i think they realized that, which is why you won’t see champs hold their belts for two years while being out with injuries anymore.
Posted by frontxrunner on Sep 8, 2018 | 10:15 AM
Agree
Big difference between a weight issue and a real injury. As long as this is their policy for all champs going forward, and not just her, then it is a fair policy.
Posted by Gains Monsoon on Sep 8, 2018 | 12:19 PM
I DISAGREE, NOT ALL CHAMPS SHOULD GET TREATED THE SAME,
i do not think that Nicco deserves tge same leeway that say tyrone woodly or DC gets. A proven champ that has multiple defenses should be given the benifit of the doubt, a single bad weight cut should not automatocally require the bekt vacated. If you have a earned belt, a defended belt, you have invested in the belts legitamacy, yiu have added to the autority that belt carries and it going to someone who did not defeat you takes away from its legitimacy, if cejudo took the belt in a fight from someone other then jonson because jonson lost the belt fir not making weight’ we would have trouble seeing him as the real champ. Nicco had not taken the belt from a champ, she beat a prior ufc cast off in Roxanne, who i adore, but is not a champ in any sense of the word, nicco never defended the belt either, so another words, the belt she wore meant nothing and she hasnt acted to add legitamacy to it in her reighn. The ufc has a right to act in the interest of the new division in this case without creating a rigid policy that all champs are held to.
Posted by Marc Gebeloff on Sep 8, 2018 | 12:35 PM
I'm 50/50 on your point here
While I agree there’s a world of difference between someone like Montano and Dominick Cruz, and a popular, successful champ should carry some extra weight/be given a little more leeway – there also needs to be a standard rule if someone misses weight. If a champion can’t defend their belt because they fail a weight cut and either miss weight or can’t weigh in, they should forfeit the belt. General injuries are a different matter where discretion could be applied, but for weight misses or failures it should be a standard. If Shevchenko missed weight she wouldn’t be eligible to win the belt and Montano could have turned down the fight.
It may just be very bad luck for Montano (her injuries and now weight failure) and let’s hope she recovers quickly, but she’s holding up a division she should have been the face of. Shevchenko should fight the next highest-ranked flyweight fr the vacant title. When Montano comes back, make her fight a title eliminator and if she wins give her a shot at the belt. That seems fair.
Posted by Super_G.O.A.T. on Sep 8, 2018 | 4:03 PM
It feels about right
If a challenger misses weight they’re not eligible to win the title (e.g. Yoel Romero recently), so if a champion misses weight they should drop the belt. Has a UFC champion ever officially missed weight for a title fight?
(And please don’t anyone chime in with DC’s ‘towelgate’, or repeat Nick Diaz’s paranoid ramblings about GSP!)
(And please don’t anyone chime in with DC’s ‘towelgate’, or repeat Nick Diaz’s paranoid ramblings about GSP!)
I can’t imagine just how taxing it must be on your body as I’ve never trained to that elite level in anything, but pretty much a fighter’s only job is to make it to the fight, step on the scales at a certain weight, then fight. If you fail in your job, there should be consequences. And I agree that it should be a standard rule with no exceptions and no favoritism.
Posted by Super_G.O.A.T. on Sep 8, 2018 | 3:55 PM
If you can't make weight, you definitely can't be champion of that weight class
This is one of the very few reasons to strip a champion of his/her title.
Unfortunately, it will not be the last time because the UFC and commissions won’t do shit about the stupid scheduled weigh in system until a high profile fighter dies from weight cutting.
Posted by Frank-Lfrr on Sep 8, 2018 | 10:16 AM
You definitely have to take into account more than just this last failure.
You also have to consider that this isn’t the first time she failed to make it to the cage for her first title defense and the amount of time that has gone buy since she won the inaugural belt. The time had definitely come to strip her of that title. If this had happened for her first scheduled title defense a few months after getting the belt, stripping her would not have been the right call.
Posted by Justbleedguysnumberonefan on Sep 8, 2018 | 10:24 AM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_228
https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/9/8/17833508/fightweets-was-ufc-right-to-strip-nicco-montano-of-her-title
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