A women’s flyweight title fight could be the headliner for the UFC’s return to Calgary.
The UFC’s long-awaited return to Calgary, Alberta could feature a women’s flyweight title bout as the main event.
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reports that reigning champion Nicco Montano and Valentina Shevchenko is being targeted for UFC on FOX 30 at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Nothing is finalized, but the UFC appears to want this matchup for that card. It’s the UFC’s first trip to Calgary since UFC 149 in 2012, widely regarded as one of the worst pay-per-views in the promotion’s history.
Montano (4-2) won season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter, which doubled as a women’s flyweight tournament to determine the inaugural champion. The 29-year-old defeated Lauren Murphy, Montana Stewart, and Barb Honchak, then defeated last-minute replacement Roxanne Modafferi in the final to win UFC gold. This would be the first defense of her title.
Shevchenko (15-3) unsuccessfully challenged for the bantamweight title last year, losing a split decision to Amanda Nunes at UFC 215. She dropped down to flyweight for her next fight, a one-sided mauling of the woefully overmatched Priscila Cachoeira. It was expected that winning that bout would earn her a title shot, and that appears to be the case.
UFC on FOX 30 takes place on Saturday, July 28th. The co-main event is a featherweight bout between Jose Aldo and Jeremy Stephens.