For those who haven’t heard the title Michelle Montague, you’re probably not paying consideration. The 30-year outdated girls’s featherweight has exploded into rivalry and relevancy simply 5 fights into her skilled profession. The quantity 5 is critical as a result of it’s not solely the quantity of fights she’s had as a professional, however it’s additionally the quantity of wins she has in those self same quantity of fights, and the quantity of submission victories she has. Final weekend at Bellator Champions Collection in Dublin, Montague improved her undefeated skilled report to 5-0 with yet one more rear-naked choke.
Coaching out of American High Group in Florida, Montague has picked up all of her wins by rear-naked choke and has accomplished so with two coming within the first spherical, two within the second, and only one time has she gone to a 3rd spherical. Referred to as “The Wild One” Montague doesn’t again down through the combat and her continued dominance is a breath of contemporary air in a girls’s featherweight division on the lookout for larger names.
Hailing from New Zealand, Michelle Montague is considered one of few girls from the world to make it on the larger stage and he or she’s benefiting from it. Advocating for not simply extra fighters in Australia and New Zealand, however particularly girls from the area, Montague is paving the way in which and main by instance. Having realized from one of many easiest girls fighters in MMA historical past, Kayla Harrison, a former PFL champion, Montague will not be solely studying abilities, however learn how to pave an even bigger path for these round her. Earlier than her most up-to-date combat in opposition to Karolina Sobek, Montague mentioned the affect that Harrison has had on her each in and outdoors of the coaching room.
“It’s cool, proper? What Ronda [Rousey] did within the UFC, Kayla [Harrison] did in these different organizations and so dominant in doing so, tremendous well-rounded, and now doing the identical factor within the UFC. She’s my greatest buddy right here as properly so all we do outdoors the gymnasium and inside, it simply goes hand-in-hand and I believe it makes us stronger as folks. You retain one another accountable, you’ve gotten your coaching associate’s greatest pursuits at coronary heart. I believe all-in-all it brings up your thoughts and bodily energy ten fold coaching with somebody like that.”
Making her Bellator promotional debut at Bellator Champions Collection: Dublin, Michelle Montague arrived and made an announcement that she might and needs to be thought-about as a title contender sooner somewhat than later. Her path is one that may be influential to people who come after her, however Montague respects the Australian and New Zealand fighters who additionally paved the way in which for her in her profession.
No information was excellent news for the Kiwi fighter because the PFL and Bellator promotions merged collectively at first of 2024 and now that she’s been on each phases, her debut with Bellator might result in solely large fights transferring ahead. Reigning champion Cris Cyborg has been in a number of rumors about her subsequent title combat and opponent, though Montague will not be subsequent in line for a title combat, she’s subsequent in line for stardom.
Good on the microphone and digicam by way of displaying her character and promoting a combat, Michelle Montague has thrived each inside and outdoors of the cage. In a division the place new blood is required, in a promotion that takes delight find younger expertise and driving with them to the highest, Montague is a reputation that needs to be remembered by followers and warned to her future opponents. They’ll want to guard their neck and limbs, as a result of the extra snatching and submitting she continues to do, the faster she is going to rise to being an plain star.
