ALBUQUERQUE N.M. (KRQE) – UFC Fight Night 167 will be at the Star Center in Rio Rancho on February 15. Six fighters on this UFC card will have ties to New Mexico, and one of those fighters is Nicco Montano.

Nicco is the former UFC Featherweight Champion and she currently trains at Jackson’s Acoma here in Albuquerque. She is coming off a loss in July, but she is ready to bounce back and has the right mindset heading into her fight with Macy Chiasson.

“I think a lot of fighters underestimate me until they get in there, and then it’s just a whole different world. So I always have that to rely on, like I am pretty confident with my mental game,” said Nicco Montano.

This Bantamweight bout will be big for Montano, as not only is the former champion looking to improve her 4-3 professional record, but she will also be doing it in front of friends and family.

“You know, every fight I feel like I need to do that, especially because of the caliber I am at and having the number of fights I do. It’s so minimal to a lot of other girls, and then knowing that I had the target on my back for the longest time because I had the belt,” said Montano. “So, there’s no other feeling that’s going to top that feeling, besides like fighting in your hometown with the Navajo reservation right there. And so everyone’s going to come down, and I have all my family, everyone is going wild about this. So yeah, there is a little added stress, but that’s where I find the motivation in getting my hand raised.”