One of these two rising Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweights will
likely reach the top 10 after a win in New York.
The news first broke on Thursday morning from Erin
Blanchfield’s Instagram page,
where she announced she would be facing off against Molly
McCann (13-4) on Nov. 12. The two flyweights will throw down
inside Madison Square Garden in New York, and they will likely be
positioned on the main card of UFC
281. McCann confirmed this
shortly after its announcement, while also stating she has signed
an eight-fight contract with the UFC as well.
Blanchfield (9-1) has been on a mission since her first career
defeat, suffered in the Invicta Fighting Championships ranks in her
fourth pro bout. Since that split decision setback to Tracy
Cortez – a
contentious one still debated to this day – Blanchfield has
rattled off six straight victories, including three inside the
Octagon. Two decisions over Sarah Alpar
and Miranda
Maverick in 2021 lifted “Cold Blooded” into a high-stakes tilt
with J.J.
Aldrich, and she passed the test by hitting a guillotine choke
on Aldrich to earn a place in the 125-pound rankings.
The current run for the Liverpool, England, native has been nothing
short of spectacular, as she ended a losing skid by taking a
decision over Ji Yeon Kim
in late 2021. In particular, the 2022 campaign for McCann could
scarcely have gone better, with two spinning back elbow knockouts
over Luana
Carolina and Hannah
Goldy in March and July – the former a clear contender for
“Knockout of the Year.” Through 60 women’s bouts in the UFC thus
far this year, seven have ended due to strikes. McCann is the only
one of those female fighters to register more than one.
UFC 281 takes place on Nov. 12 inside Madison Square Garden in New
York. The event officially only has one additional bout booked at
the moment: its headliner, between Israel
Adesanya and Alex
Pereira for the middleweight title. A sure-fire thriller at 155
pounds between Dustin
Poirier and Michael
Chandler has been linked to this event as well, but the match
has not yet been agreed upon.