UFC Fight Night 260 : Michelle Montague vs Luana Carolina

Michelle Montague’s UFC debut lived up to the hype as the undefeated New Zealander immediately showcased her wrestling-heavy approach against the rangy Brazilian striker Luana Carolina. From the opening bell, Montague closed the distance aggressively, using level changes to keep Carolina guessing and pinning her against the fence. After a brief struggle, she hit her first takedown of the fight and settled into top control, landing short ground-and-pound and threatening an arm-triangle choke. Carolina survived the early storm but spent most of Round 1 defending from her back, allowing Montague to set the tone.

Round 2 followed a similar pattern, with Montague continuing to dictate where the fight took place. She chained together takedown attempts and succeeded twice more, controlling large stretches of the round from half-guard and side control. Carolina tried to escape and land elbows from the bottom, but Montague’s top pressure was relentless. At one point, Montague transitioned to mount and dropped several clean punches, forcing Carolina to give up her back to avoid further damage. Montague nearly locked in a rear-naked choke before the horn saved Carolina.

In the third and final round, Carolina came out with more urgency, knowing she needed a finish to win. She used her reach to keep Montague at bay early, landing a pair of clean right hands and a front kick to the body. Montague, however, stayed patient, shot for another double-leg, and dragged the fight back to the canvas. Although Carolina scrambled to her feet briefly, Montague quickly clinched and brought her back down, finishing the round in control once again.

When the judges’ scorecards were read, the decision was unanimous in favor of Montague, with tallies of 29-26, 30-25, and 30-26. The lopsided scores reflected her grappling dominance, positional control, and multiple submission threats throughout the fight. The victory extended Montague’s undefeated streak and proved she can implement her game plan against a skilled UFC veteran.

After the fight, Montague told reporters she had visualized this exact performance for weeks, emphasizing that she wanted to “showcase patience and control rather than chase a risky finish.” Carolina, despite her loss, earned respect for surviving dangerous positions and fighting hard to the final horn. This win positions Montague as a serious new contender in the women’s flyweight division and sets up intriguing future matchups against higher-ranked grapplers.