Undefeated PFL veteran Michelle Montague (6-0) makes her octagon debut at UFC Perth this weekend, and being so close to her home of New Zealand, it seems everything is going according to plan.
Montague touched on that, and added that “it’s been such a nice, slow process getting here, and that’s a good thing,” during this week’s UFC Perth media day. “So it feels very right.”
Ten years ago or so, Montague was a wrestler who had been watching women shortly after they entered the UFC. “I remember just being mind-blown by the level that they were at. And then so 10 years down the track, to having done all that work and being able to make by debut this week, and so close to home, with the first coach I ever had on the mat, is very special.”
Montague is a career featherweight who made the drop to 135lbs for UFC Perth. With the promotion having scrapped their 145lb division a while ago, bantamweight will be her home for the foreseeable future. And it seems to be a good fit.
“If you ever need a bit of inspiration, you just see Kayla [Harrison, UFC bantamweight champ] drop down to 35 from what she walks at. If she can, I can is a joke that we had,” said Montague. Harrison, a teammate of the Kiwi, previously fought at 155lbs for the PFL. “For the level that these girls are at, I was too small to be a true featherweight. So this is perfect.”
Watch the full UFC Perth media day appearance by Michelle Montague above.
