Blanchfield Gets Home Advantage in High Stakes UFC Atlantic City Bout with Fiorot

By
Gabriel Gonzalez
-
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 17: Erin Blanchfield poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on February 17, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Erin Blanchfield will be close to home when she competes against top contender Manon Fiorot at UFC Atlantic City.

The stage is about as good as it can get for “Cold Blooded” Erin Blanchfield.  On Saturday she returns to the city where she made her professional debut, this time headlining an event for the biggest MMA promotion in the world.  She also does so as the proverbial next big thing as the 24 year-old rides a nine fight win-streak that includes victories over former champion Jessica Andrade and former title challenger Taila Santos.  Her next fight would be another huge feather in her cap, but more importantly it would put her arguably lock her in as the next challenger for the title in the UFC women’s flyweight division.

As she has climbed up the ranks, Blanchfield’s matter-of-fact approach to the microphone is reminiscent of her fellow Northeastern MMA stars such as Frankie Edgar and Chris Weidman.  Not for nothing, her rise up the ranks is similar as well.  With several contenders with dynamic skills and with personalities that have been highlighted by the promotion, Blanchfield stands out with her workmanlike approach.  Most contenders in her position would acknowledge their place in the pecking order and hold on to the life changing title opportunities that don’t come around every day.  But the New Jersey native has already admitted that another fight already may be necessary as the division awaits resolution between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

Manon Fiorot had her homecoming in her last outing, getting to fight in front of a packed arena in her native France against former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas.  It was exactly the kind of stage one could hope for as a rising contender, and Fiorot bested her foe that night in solid fashion to put herself in title contention.

But timing has been Fiorot’s enemy more than any other flyweight contender.  She had appeared to lock in a title shot in 2022 when she beat the perennially top-ranked Katlyn Cerminara.  But the upset by Alexa Grasso over Valentina Shevchenko and their draw in the immediate rematch pushed the less regarded Fiorot to the outside despite her being on a 12 fight win-streak at the time.  In 2023, Blanchfield was able to build momentum and now Fiorot must stave off one of the top prospects in the sport in order to hold her position in the title picture.

The winner of the bout would be regarded as the obvious next challenger for the title, and one could not begrudge them for waiting until said opportunity to fight again.  However, champion Grasso and Shevchenko are in the midst of shooting The Ultimate Fighter 32 and are not expected to meet for a third time until this September.  That would more than likely leave Blanchfield or Fiorot waiting until 2025 to compete again.  Should that be too long of a wait, then either woman would likely face Maycee Barber who is currently on a six fight win-streak of her own and on the cusp of locking in her own title shot.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR