Sport: MMA Country: Global Category: Breaking News

Nicco Montaño embarks on new venture after UFC challenges

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 16, 2026, 3:05 AM

Last updated Sep 16, 2026

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Summary

Nicco Montaño, former UFC flyweight champion, is actively pursuing a new chapter in her life. The Totsoh Corporation, a construction company she founded, secured a $17 million contract for road improvements on the Navajo Nation. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 1 in Houck, Arizona. Montaño's journey in MMA, which included becoming the inaugural UFC women's flyweight champion in 2017, has been marred by injuries and misfortunes that led to her release from the UFC after struggling to maintain her fighting weight. Despite these setbacks, Montaño expresses pride in her heritage and aims to use her experiences to teach and inspire her community.

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By the Numbers

•Montaño founded Totsoh Corporation for road improvements on the Navajo Nation.
•$17 million contract awarded for construction work.
•Groundbreaking ceremony held on September 1, 2026.
•Montaño is the first UFC women's flyweight champion, winning in 2017.
•Faced significant injuries and challenges impacting her MMA career.

Latest Updates

3:05 AMYahoo Sports — Nicco Montaño, star-crossed in the cage, fights back

What they're saying

"
I’d been thinking for a while now of writing a “whatever happened to” story about former UFC flyweight champion Nicco Montaño, whose MMA career rose so fast and fell so far. Those thoughts were preempted on Aug. 28 by a text from Albuquerque’s Ricky Kottenstette, Montaño’s friend, adviser and former manager. Now, the story isn’t about what happened to Montaño. It’s about what she’s made ...
— Yahoo Sports

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