6 Unlikely UFC Champions Who Defied The Odds
3. Nicco Montano
In 2017, Nicco Montano entered the UFC as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion. As part of the show, she was placed in a 16 woman tournament to crown the inaugural UFC Women's Flyweight Champion.
Montano entered the tournament as the 14th seed, with a professional record of 3-2. Her 3 wins had come against fighters even most hardcore MMA fans have never heard of. Moreover, she was also very new to the sport — having turned pro in 2015.
In truth, Nicco Montano was an afterthought who was there to help the promotion fill a bracket in a relatively shallow division.
Veterans like Roxanne Modafferi, Barb Honchack, and Lauren Murphy were among the favorites heading into the tournament. However, Montano, an obscure fighter out of LeChee, Arizona would wind up beating all 3 of the previously mentioned standouts — on her way to becoming the UFC's 1st female flyweight champ.
Given her inexperience and unspectacular record heading into the UFC — Nicco Montano was among the unlikeliest of unlikely champions.