On September 27 last year, Michelle Montague made history as the first woman from New Zealand to compete in the UFC when she debuted at UFC Perth in Australia. The ‘Wild Child’ blazed the Octagon with a dominant victory and extended her record to a spotless 7-0. But her path to the Octagon began with cautionary lessons on American city life.

Training out of American Top Team (ATT) alongside Kayla Harrison, Montague is the talk of the bantamweight division, with her flaunting an undefeated MMA profile alongside an impressive wrestling and grappling background. However, before she found a place in the gym, Montague was in for a huge shock.

American social cues surprised Kayla Harrison’s training partner

Michelle Montague recently joined the Death Row MMA podcast, where Jorge Masvidal asked whether relocating to the USA was a “culture shock” moment for her. Montague pulled no punches as she narrated eerie episodes from her time as a lifeguard at Disney World when she was in her early twenties. “New Zealanders trust really easily, and now I’ve learned we can be naive,” she began.

“So I had guys say, ‘Oh, do you want a ride somewhere?’ And I don’t know the guy,” Montague narrated. “In New Zealand, if someone offers you something like that, you know they’re a good guy, it’s all good. But over here, they’re up to something. It’s sketchy, right?”

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In another incident, a guy offered a ride while she was waiting for the bus to one of the Disney parks. “So weird, man. It was creepy. I tried to video it at the same time. The whole thing was so sketchy,” Montague recalled.

But that was not the only thing that caught Montague off guard. The bantamweight added that Americans tend to be far more talkative and extroverted than in New Zealand, frequently engaging in small talk. Being raised in a socially open family helped her adjust to those differences sooner.

Montague noted that people in her hometown are quicker to make connections and trust others. “That was the main thing: how naive we were. There are so many people in America, so not everybody’s your buddy. Like in New Zealand, I don’t know you, but if we both know him, then immediately we’re buddies,” she compared the countries.

But even as she navigated the struggles, Kayla Harrison helped her find a place at the gym and in the city.

Michelle Montague and Kayla Harrison’s fierce bond

Michelle Montague might have felt like an outsider in the USA, but Kayla Harrison always had her back, as the fighters went on to form one of the strongest friendships in ATT. In fact, Montague has also stayed over at Harrison’s ranch.

“Kayla — when she was at her old place — and then, you know, I’ve looked after animals and stuff before, and that there, because again, like a little farm,” Montague enthusiastically added on the podcast. “We built that fire pit from scratch.” But their bond goes beyond building fire pits and looking after the ranch together.

“No, I think we were kindred spirits — like long-lost sisters,” Montague added, as she recalled a tough training camp where both Harrison and Montague began the high-energy motivational, chest-thumping chant from The Wolf of Wall Street as a way of lifting the mood, as if on cue. “We just match each other’s energy really well,” she added. This playful dynamic between them pushes them to be their best selves at training camps while also lifting the pressure off each other’s backs.

In fact, back in 2023, Harrison even cornered Montague in her PFL Challenger Series. Fast forward to Montague’s jaw-dropping UFC debut, her struggles and challenges in a new setting seem to have paid hefty dividends. Is Michelle Montague gearing up to be one of the UFC women’s bantamweight top challengers? Comment below.