Erin Blanchfield believes she’s done more than enough for a title opportunity.
The #2-ranked women’s flyweight contender has ran through the division, winning in every step of the way. Blanchfield’s UFC debut came in 2021 and currently rides a six-fight win streak inside the Octagon.
Blanchfield impressed many in her last two bouts where she took out top contenders Jessica Andrade and Taila Santos. No title shot yet for the 24 year-old, but that could soon change with one more win over Manon Fiorot in the main event of UFC Atlantic City this weekend.
‘There’s No Way I Can’t Get A Title Shot’
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Blanchfield and France’s Fiorot, who both stand at a perfect 6-0 record with a win over a former champion. With their resumes on the table, a shot at flyweight gold could very well be on the line for whoever comes out on top at the Boardwalk Hall.
“I haven’t been told anything in particular,” Blanchfield said on ‘The MMA Hour‘, when asked if the winner will get a title shot. “I feel like it’s I feel like it’s pretty rare where there’s promises like that. But, you know how it is, winning in interesting fashion or a great fashion is always gonna put you like right in that spot. So, I feel like with a good performance Saturday that there’s no way I can’t get a title shot.”
The only roadblock standing in the way of flyweight gold is the next title fight between reigning champ Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko. The duo fought to a draw in their rematch at UFC Noche in September and they’ll try to settle their unfinished business later this year.
This could take some time as Grasso and Shevchenko are currently on coaching duty in ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ season 32 and must wait until filming’s wrapped and over with to finally fight in the Octagon themselves.
‘Who Else Can I Beat?’
In the meantime, the ‘Cold Blooded’ Blanchfield doesn’t mind cleaning out the division some more as she awaits her first title fight.
“I definitely feel like it would be enough to get me a title shot. They haven’t even matched up the third fight against Alexa and Valentina yet. So, if that takes a while, I wouldn’t be opposed to fighting again just because I’d rather stay active than like wait until they’re kind of done doing that whole trilogy. But I definitely feel with with a good performance Saturday. I feel like this is literally my third #1 contender fight, like beating Jessica Andrade, beating Talia, and then beating Manon [Fiorot] on Saturday. It’s like, who else can I beat that’s even better than that?”
Blanchfield Weighs In On ‘Thug’ Rose Moving Up
A staple of the strawweight division and a relatively new face at flyweight, former champ Rose Namajunas got her first win at the weight class last weekend. ‘Thug’ narrowly outworked Amanda Ribas across five rounds to get back in the win column after losing in her divisional debut against Manon Fiorot in September.
Namajunas might have cracked the top 10 flyweight rankings at #7, but Blanchfield thinks she’s at her best when she’s cutting down to strawweight.
“I think she’s better at 115,” Blanchfield said of Namajunas. “I think just moving up a weight class, like, 10lbs, from 115 to 125, it’s a big percentage of your body weight, especially when you’re that small. She won against Ribas. Ribas was also someone that fought at 115. She’s not that big of a girl. She had the one fight against Manon [Fiorot], and she lost that. So, I think she’s a great fighter, and I think she had a lot of skill, but I think it’s she’s gonna be a little outsized at 125.”
Blanchfield vs. Namajunas?
Outsized or not, Rose Namajunas didn’t shy away from calling out top contenders and it sure captured Erin Blanchfield’s attention.
“It was cool seeing her calling me out. I’ve been watching Rose for forever, probably since I was like in high school. I never thought I was gonna have to fight her, she was always at 115. But, it definitely is cool, if I got the chance to fight her,” Blanchfield said.
