Nicco Montano’s reign as UFC champion lasted less than a year and without a single title defense.
The inaugural women’s flyweight titleholder was scheduled to put her belt on the line against the heavily favored Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 228 this Saturday night, but was hospitalized due to health concerns, and never weighed in on Friday. As a result, her bout with Shevchenko was called off, Shevchenko will not remain on the card, and UFC president Dana White confirmed that Montano no longer has the belt.
“The belt becomes vacated, so the title is vacated,” White said on the UFC 228 weigh-in show on FS1.