The past six months have been a roller coaster for American Top Team’s Steve Montgomery and he will make his UFC debut on Saturday in Hollywood, Florida when he meets Tony Sims on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 70.
The year started off by Montgomery (8-2) being casted on The Ultimate Fighter 21, but he would be pulled from the competition after going through a health scare during a weight cut.
After being pulled from the show, he was scheduled to fight last month at a local show in Florida. However, the event was canceled on weigh-in day by the promoter and he was immediately booked for a fight in Virginia against Anthony Lemon.
Initially the fight against Lemon was going to be a welterweight bout, but the fight was changed to a middleweight bout when his opponent was not going to be able to make 170 pounds. That fight would not end up taking place as Montgomery got the call he had been waiting for. He found out about being signed by the UFC when his manager interrupted a pad session with his boxing coach.
“I was just training and getting ready for the fight last Saturday against a dangerous guy,” Montgomery told The MMA Report. “Two days before the fight, I was just in the boxing ring sweating a little bit with my boxing coach in a local gym in Richmond, Virginia. My manager walked up to me and he had this look on his face. I knew that there had been issues with the visa and my management was trying to get me on the UFC card. After I already flew up to Richmond, I already committed mentality to fighting this past Saturday. He walked up, interrupted the pad session, and just got off his phone. Right away, I knew if he was interrupting, it had to be important. When he walked up with a little smirk on his face, I just looked and said ‘I am in the UFC aren’t I?’ He said, yeah. Next Saturday.”
On Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Montgomery will finally step into the octagon. This is the moment he has been waiting for his entire career and does not expect to have “UFC jitters” since he feels he got through that during the taping of The Ultimate Fighter 21. He is prepared for this opportunity and knows he just needs to be himself in the fight.
“I just have to go out there and have fun. Just go out there, have fun and completely be myself,” Montgomery explained. “Do not hold back and not get nervous. I should not throw this kick or I should not say this on the mic or anything like that. Just go out there. Be respectful and be myself. Just enjoy it to the fullest and entertain the hell out of everybody. I do not feel any pressure to impress them. I just know by having fun and being myself, everything else will come. I tried to force a lot of things earlier in the year and later last year with the show. I think I might have been a little to forceful and god’s universe — it told me to let go of taking control and just let things play out. I am not trying to take control of anything. I am just trying to control myself. Just make sure my weight is good and my technique is good. Make sure I am enjoying the experience and everything will come naturally after that.”
Hear more from Montgomery on Friday’s edition on The MMA Report Live when he will discuss his fight against Sims, training with Joe Schilling, and more.