Who is Montserrat Ruiz, the newest UFC star who took a fight on one-week notice
Montserrat Ruiz, the newcomer in UFC, will make her promotional debut on March 20 at UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland.
Ruiz was born in Leon, Mexico, in 1993. The 28-year-old fighter is best known for her recent stint in Invicta FC, with an overall professional MMA record of 9-1-0.
Nicknamed 'Canejo', Montserrat Ruiz primarily competes in the Strawweight division. According to Tapology, she is five feet tall and has a reach of 155cm. Ruiz is currently associated with the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu gym in Los Angeles, California, and is owned by Eddie Bravo.
The Mexican fighter was signed by the UFC as a replacement for Kay Hansen who was supposed to challenge Cheyanne Buys on March 20. Hansen was forced to pull out of the fight due to health issues. In a statement issued to her Twitter, Hansen wrote:
"Devastated to say the least. In almost 13 professional fights I’ve never even had the thought of pulling out. I did absolutely everything in my power to try & make this work but my health wasn’t having it. My health and well being come first. I’ll be back".
Montserrat Ruiz's opponent, Cheyanne Buys, is a 25-year-old surging Strawweight prospect. The Florida native earned herself a UFC contract with a win over Hilarie Rose in Dana White's Contender Series in August 2020.
A glance at Montserrat Ruiz's MMA career
Montserrat Ruiz made her professional MMA debut in 2014 at Gladiators Coliseum, a Mexican promotion. She racked up an impressive nine-fight winning streak while fighting under various MMA promotions in Mexico before she ventured into the American circuit.
Riding high on her undefeated record, Ruiz was signed by Invicta FC in 2018. However, she came up short on her promotional debut against Danielle Taylor via unanimous decision.
Ruiz was then sidelined for a year and a half as she marked her return to Invicta FC in July 2020. The 28-year-old defeated Janaisa Morandin in her second fight with the promotion after pulling off a stunning Scarf Hold armlock submission in the first round.
Ruiz will be hoping to secure a win over Cheyanne Buys next weekend and put her fellow UFC Strawweight contenders on notice.