Montano def. Modafferi

UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano is rehabilitating a broken foot back, but she admitted it’s a delicate process.

Montano (4-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has not seen action since winning the inaugural 125-pound belt with a victory over Roxanne Modafferi at The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale in December. Montano fought with a broken foot, and the issue was only compounded when she went five competitive rounds to capture the belt.

According to Montano, who spoke about her recovery in a recent interview with KRQE in Albuquerque, N.M., the break occurred in the ball of her heel, which is apparently one of the more troublesome spots. It’s made her post-surgery recovery a slow one.

“There was a time when I was like, ‘I don’t know if I will be able to fight again,'” Montano told KRQE. “I’ve got to really pay attention to my foot. With this, if it’s sore, then I’m out for two weeks.”

Despite some initial concerns, Montano said she expects to return to the octagon in the coming months so she can defend her title. The obvious matchup is against Valentina Shevchenko (15-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who is a former bantamweight title challenger who made a violent debut in the flyweight division with a second-round submission win over Priscila Cachoeira at UFC Fight Night 125 in February.

Given Shevchenko’s success during both her muay-Thai and MMA careers, “The Bullet” would likely be a sizable favorite over Montano if they fight. The champ doesn’t seem particularly bothered, though, and said she’s not intimidated.

“If Shevchenko wants to hold off until I’m ready, why not?” Montano said. “At this weight, 125, it’s hard to get scared. I was a 135er, and I was fighting girls way stronger than me at one point in some aspects. At 125 I don’t really feel like I get overpowered as easily. Even though she’s been fighting for her whole life and I’ve been fighting for under a decade, I’m just going to go have to go to my headquarters and rely on my strength.”

Related Valentina Shevchenko calls out flyweight champ Nicco Montano for UFC 225 in Chicago

If everything goes according to plan, Montano said she’d like to fight on July 7 at UFC 226, a card headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Stipe Miocic and fellow UFC champ Daniel Cormier. Fighting on a mega-event would be good exposure for Montano, she said, but more than anything, she just wants to fight in Las Vegas. Not only is it the city where she won her UFC belt, but she said the UFC Performance Institute could help her through fight week.

“I’m shooting for this summer,” Montano said. “I’m really hoping to get on that Vegas card (at UFC 226). I had to fight through this injury the last time too, and the (UFC Performance Institute) helped me out a bunch. I think that it could have turned out a different way without that support, so I’m really hoping for that July card in Las Vegas.”

For more on UFC 226, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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