Erin Blanchfield predicts that her upcoming match will pit her against fellow contender Manon Fiorot, potentially fighting for the interim UFC women’s flyweight title. Both fighters hold impressive records, each boasting an unbeaten streak over six UFC appearances. They represent the top two female contenders within the promotion at 125 pounds, making their potential face-off one that is highly anticipated within the UFC community.
The title contention is currently complicated due to the situation involving reigning flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and ex-champion Valentina Shevchenko. Following a split draw in their recent rematch at Noche UFC, the heated debate over the scorecards left room for a potential third face-off. However, this possible trilogy may see a delay due to Grasso and Shevchenko both recently undergoing hand surgeries. This uncertain situation directly impacts Blanchfield’s future match.
Blanchfield maintains high hopes of her next match being against Fiorot. However, she expresses a clear interest in ensuring the match carries interim title relevance if the Grasso-Shevchenko trilogy is indeed postponed. “Yeah, it’s definitely stalling. I feel like I’ve had a couple No. 1 contender fights now. But you know, I’m still pretty young and gained valuable experience in those fights. … Whether it’s an interim or not, I’ll beat (Fiorot), and then I should definitely get a title next,” Blanchfield remarked during an online live stream for digital wallet platform HUMBL.
On the heels of a unanimous decision win over Brazilian standout Taila Santos at UFC Fight Night 225 in August, Blanchfield adds, “I haven’t been told about that yet. I would definitely push for that. That’s something I’d definitely be interested in. I’m not sure when Valentina and Alexa are going to be ready to fight again… I would hope that if it ends up being longer, they’d have me and Manon fight for an interim.” Meanwhile, Fiorot’s last high-profile win was a unanimous decision over Rose Namajunas at UFC Fight Night 226 on September 2.