“I feel like a big reason my jiu-jitsu is so strong is because I spent years focusing on it purely for the sake of jiu-jitsu. I was able to transfer that directly to MMA. I think when you focus on a sport specifically, for that sport, you grow much faster in it.”
That quote comes from the #4 ranked UFC women’s flyweight, Erin Blanchfield, who is set to headline UFC Vegas 107 against #5 ranked Maycee Barber. With major contender implications on the line, this main event carries serious weight in the division. We caught up with “Cold Blooded” on Din Thomas’ FightCourt podcast to talk about the matchup, as well as the training mindset that’s helped fuel her rise in the UFC.
Blanchfield’s approach is subtle but often overlooked—and it may be a key reason we’re seeing fewer finishes across the board in MMA today.
Even though MMA has largely consolidated around five or six core martial arts, becoming a complete fighter still demands a deep commitment to learning and development. Too often, fighters try to cover all bases at once and end up training with a “broad strokes” mentality. This leads to a lack of detail and depth—resulting in fewer fight-ending techniques and more decisions.
Discipline-specific training not only builds confidence in a fighter’s offense, but also sharpens their defense through repetition. When a fighter like Blanchfield goes up against someone who trains broadly but without precision, the gap in skill becomes too great to overcome.
And the numbers back it up. Since 2022, the finish rate in the UFC women’s flyweight division has dropped to just 30.7%. Meanwhile, Erin holds a finish rate of about 46%, including a statement submission win over former champion Jessica Andrade.
I’ve seen this lesson play out in my own career—on both ends. With a strong wrestling background, my hands were awful early on. I trained boxing only because I had to, half-heartedly trying to double-leg whoever was holding mitts, and maybe throwing a wild left hook here and there. That approach earned me more than a few rough sparring sessions with the likes of Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier—and a few losses that still sting to this day.
Eventually, I got serious about my striking. You’d think that was the turning point, right? Wrong.
I shifted focus again—now spending less time on wrestling and more on jiu-jitsu, boxing, and kickboxing. But a person only has so much bandwidth. I became decent at everything, great at nothing. My wrestling regressed, and I was getting taken down by guys who had no business doing it.
I’ll never forget when King Mo pulled me aside and said, “You’re vanilla, bro.”
Once I returned to training with intention and embraced my identity as a wrestler, everything clicked. I became more precise, more confident, and much harder to deal with in every phase.
One of Erin’s favorite fighters to study was a master of this philosophy—arguably the most well-rounded mixed martial artist of all time: Georges St-Pierre.
“I really like watching Georges St-Pierre,” Erin Blanchfield said. “He tied everything together so well. I just love how he flowed.”
GSP was known for developing each weapon deliberately—wrestling, grappling, boxing, kickboxing, even karate—and using them seamlessly. His early UFC run was filled with finishes and showed what true, discipline-focused training could produce. That’s the kind of film study that clearly informs Blanchfield’s game, and it’s something I highly recommend for any young fighter or newer fan. Get on UFC Fight Pass and watch “Rush” work.
Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield has a rock-solid foundation that’s taking her far in the UFC. Her mindset and training habits are a blueprint that rising fighters—and sharp fans—should take note of. She also made it clear that her sights are set on gold.
“That’s the plan,” she told us about her title aspirations.
And remember…
“A jack of all trades is a master of none.”
For a look at the full conversation see “Din Thomas’ FightCourt” Episode with Erin here.
