Rep: Montano was hospitalized due to kidney issues

According to her team, kidney issues arose during Nicco Montano’s weight cut on Friday.

Nicco Montano’s condition seemingly wasn’t too serious, but serious enough to force her off UFC 228.

The since-stripped UFC women’s flyweight champion was hospitalized Friday morning prior to the official weigh-ins “as a precautionary measure” due to “health concerns,” per the UFC. Later, it was confirmed that Montano had been officially forced out of a scheduled title defense against Valentina Shevchenko, set to co-headline Saturday’s event.

According to Montano’s training partner Steve Hanna, who released a statement to MMAFighting.com, UFC doctors asked Montano to stop cutting weight Friday morning and requested she go to a local hospital. Montano is battling kidney issues, per Hanna, but will fully recover very soon.

“She will be fine in a few days,” Hanna’s statement read. “The UFC medical team was called in to evaluate her this morning during the process of her weight cut. They determined that she had to cease cutting weight and be transported to and treated at the local hospital for issues regarding her kidney function.”

Her coach has since confirmed that she’s been released from hospital as of Friday afternoon.

Montano won the inaugural women’s flyweight belt last December with a decision win over Roxanne Modafferi following The Ultimate Fighter 26, but has yet to fight since. She has battled health issues throughout 2018, and now is no longer the champion less than a year removed from winning the title.

Shevchenko, who will not remain on the card, is coming off a dominant win over Priscila Cachoeira in February. She will still get the next title shot, ideally by the end of the year per Dana White.

UFC 228 takes place Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Proceeding with 13 bouts, the event is headlined by welterweight champ Tyron Woodley vs. Darren Till.