Nicco Montano vs. Valentina Shevchenko Title Fight Set for UFC 228 in Dallas

Featured ColumnistJuly 18, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 01: Nicco Montano celebrates her unanimous-decision victory over 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)

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

At long last, The Ultimate Fighter season 26 winner and UFC women's flyweight champion Nicco Montano is back and signed on for a fight.

On September 8 at UFC 228, she will defend her title against former bantamweight contender Valentina Shevchenko. The UFC officially announced the contest on Wednesday over social media:

UFC @ufc
The flyweight title is on the line in Dallas! @NiccoMontano defends her championship against @BulletValentina at #UFC228! 🎟: 7/27 https://t.co/rEccOg7E6l

Montano became the inaugural champion of the UFC's women's 125-pound division in December at the finale to The Ultimate Fighter season 26. Despite entering the show with a humble 3-2 record, she posted stunning upset wins over former Invicta FC champions Lauren Murphy and Barb Honchak to earn a spot in the deciding match opposite fellow finalist Sijara Eubanks. After Eubanks withdrew from the bout due to medical issues, she faced MMA veteran Roxanne Modafferi, scoring the win via unanimous decision to earn the title.

While her run through the show saw her defeat numerous established opponents and former champions, she faces an incredibly stiff test in Shevchenko.

Many believe that Valentina Shevchenko should have won the bantamweight title in 2017.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Despite being widely regarded as the top 125-pound female fighter in the world, Shevchenko joined the UFC to compete in the 135-pound division. There, she found success early by edging out former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman by decision and nearly besting Amanda Nunes in her second fight. The biggest win of her career came shortly thereafter in 2016, defeating former champion Holly Holm via unanimous decision.

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She rematched Nunes in 2017, this time for the UFC bantamweight title, but lost via split decision (an outcome many fans and pundits took issue with). Shortly thereafter, she announced her return to the flyweight division. In February, she successfully made the cut back and faced Priscila Cachoeira at UFC Fight Night 125, winning via second-round submission.

Though Montano currently holds the title, Shevchenko's strong body of work at a higher weight class has many looking at her as a big underdog. That said, she has the opportunity to both prove her doubters wrong and establish herself as one of the UFC's most entrenched champions this Fall in Dallas.