LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 01: Nicco Montano prepares to fight Roxanne Modafferi in their women's flyweight championship bout during the TUF Finale event inside Park Theater on December 01, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Reigning UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano opens as a historic underdog against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 228

Opening odds for UFC 228, set by BetDSI Sportsbook, have listed reigning UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano as a massive +360 underdog against number one contender Valentina Shevchenko, who opens at -550.

These odds make Montano’s the biggest opening underdog in UFC history for a defending champion.

The previous record was held by Matt Serra, who eventually entered the Octagon as a+430 underdog, when he put his welterweight title on the line against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 83 in 2008.

Montano (4-2) won her 125-pound title with a decision over Roxanne Modafferi at the TUF 26 Finale in December 2017. This came after earning victories over Lauren Murphy, Montana Stewart and Barb Honchak during the TUF 26 flyweight tournament, where Montano entered as the No. 14 seed.

However, since winning the title, Montano has spent time on the sideline dealing with health issues, including tonsillectomy.

Shevchenko (15-3), a multiple-time kickboxing and Muay Thai champion and former UFC bantamweight title challenger, is coming second-round submission win in her UFC flyweight debut against Priscila Cachoeira at UFC Belém in February. During the bout, which earned her second Performance of the Night bonus, fans saw ‘Bullet’ outstrike her opponent 230-3.

This win got her back in the win column following her second loss to reigning bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 216 in September 2017. She previously earned her rematch with Nunes after pulling off the upset win over former champion Holly Holm in July 2016 followed second round armbar over Juliann Peña in January 2017.

Two women will finally trade leather inside the Octagon on Sept. 8 inside the American Airlines Center at UFC 228 in Dallas. There is no word on when the headlining act will be announced.

Here is how the rest of the card stacks up:

(c) – champion