Nicco Montano Documentary Set for Friday Premiere with Focus on Extreme Weight Cutting

A documentary starring Nicco Montano, the UFC’s inaugural women’s flyweight champion, is set to premiere in Las Vegas on Friday.

The film, which is entitled “Warrior Spirit,” is directed by Landon Dyksterhouse and will focus on the dangers of extreme weight cutting in the UFC. The documentary has already been featured in a segment on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” that dealt with the extreme weight cuts. The film also examines issues such as fighter pay, insurance and unionization. Dyksterhouse has previously directed MMA-themed documentaries “The Proving Grounds,” which examines the success of the camp now known as Jackson-Wink MMA, and “El Pantera,” which looks at the rise to prominence of UFC featherweight Yair Rodriguez.

In the clip above, Montano is shown struggling to make weight ahead of her first 125-pound title defense against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 228. Ultimately, Montano was hospitalized, the fight was scratched and she was stripped of her belt.

Montano has fought just once in the UFC since winning the flyweight crown at “The Ultimate Fighter 26” finale in 2017, dropping a decision to Julianna Pena in a 135-pound bout in September 2019. Since then, seven proposed bookings have been canceled, many due to issues involving Montano. Most recently, a scheduled clash with Yanan Wu at UFC on ESPN 28 was nixed when Montano missed the bantamweight limit by seven pounds.

UFC president Dana White questioned Montano’s MMA future in a recent interview with UFC Arabia.

“I don’t know off the top of my head, but over three or four of her fights have been canceled,” White said. “I think no matter what weight class you put her at, she seems to have a hard time making weight. This might not be the sport for her.”

“Warrior Spirit” will be shown at the Las Vegas Premiere Film Festival at Galaxy Theaters at the Boulevard Mall, with a Q&A to immediately follow the screening, which begins at 6 p.m. local time.