BREAKING | Nicco Montano out of UFC 228, co-main event with Valentina Shevchenko scrapped

This morning, mere hours ahead of the UFC 228 weigh-ins, UFC flyweight champion Nicco Montano was rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital in the card’s host city of Dallas, Texas. While it was immediately clear the champion’s title fight with fearsome challenger Valentina Shevchenko was in jeopardy, it was not clear whether the fight would be cancelled.

Now, we know for sure. According to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Nicco Montano will not compete at UFC 228, and her fight with Valentina Shevchenko is off.

Nicco Montaño will not fight at UFC 228 tomorrow, after being hospitalized this morning. Valentina Shevchenko just made weight in Dallas, but I’m told the co-main event is off.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) September 7, 2018

“Nicco Montaño will not fight at UFC 228 tomorrow, after being hospitalized this morning,” Okamoto reported on Twitter. “Valentina Shevchenko just made weight in Dallas, but I’m told the co-main event is off.”

This report from Okamoto would seem to rule out Valentina Shevchenko being given a replacement opponent, such as one of the card’s strawweight contenders. She did, however, make championship weight.

At this time, it’s unknown how the UFC will proceed with the handling of the UFC women’s flyweight title. Both Montano and Shevchenko, however, are both bound to be incredible disappointed with the way things have shaken out.

At the time of this writing, it is still unknown why Nicco Montano was taken to hospital. The speculation, of course, is that her hospital trip was related to her weight cut.

Stay tuned for further updates on this situation as they emerge.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/7/2018.