UFC Sacramento gets four fights, Nicco Montano set to return

On July 13, UFC Sacramento goes down and it’s beginning to really shape up with four fun fight additions.

The UFC revealed on Tuesday that the inaugural flyweight champion, Nicco Montano (4-2) will be making her long-awaited return for the first time since winning the title in December 2017. She would defeat Roxanne Modafferi via unanimous decision to take home the gold.

Since that fight, Montano has been stripped of her title after being hospitalized during her weight cut for her scheduled UFC 228 title defense against Valentina Shevchenko in September 2018. Shortly after that, the 30-year old season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter winner would find herself suspended by USADA for six-months due to using a tainted supplement. Her suspension ended this week.

She is now set to take on a fighter that is also making a comeback in the Olympic silver medalist and former 135-pound title challenger, Sara McMann (11-5). The bout will be Montano’s first back at bantamweight since January 2017.

McMann, 38, hasn’t fought since February 2018 when she suffered a second-round submission defeat to Marion Reneau (triangle choke). Her hiatus was the result of a pregnancy. She currently rides a two-fight losing streak.

A strawweight clash will also go down at UFC Sacramento as the former Team Alpha Male member, Cynthia Calvillo (8-1) is set to face off with the underrated former Invicta FC champion, Brazil’s Livia Renata Souza (13-1). The bout will be Souza’s third in the UFC as she looks to extend her current winning streak to five.

Also in action will be one of the best submission artists in all of the lighter weight class, “The Wizard,” Ryan Hall (7-1) who takes on another Team Alpha Male affiliate in the perpetually durable Darren “The Damage” Elkins (24-7) in a featherweight encounter. Hall just recently inked a new UFC deal.

And last but not least on tap for the event is a fun bantamweight prospect battle between Benito Lopez (9-1) and Martin Day (9-3).

The previously added UFC Sacramento bouts can be seen below. Which are you most excited for?

• Lightweight – 155lbs: Beneil Dariush vs. Drakkar Klose
• Middleweight – 185lbs: Cezar Ferreira vs. Marvin Vettori
• Middleweight: Karl Roberson vs. John Phillips

on 5/14/2019