The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight
division should have a clear contender when the dust settles.
Per the UFC on
Thursday, Erin
Blanchfield (12-1) and Manon
Fiorot (11-1) will throw down in a pivotal women’s flyweight
pairing on March 30. It has not yet been determined if this matchup
will serve as the headliner for the unnumbered UFC on
ESPN card that will take place at the Boardwalk Hall in
Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is the first bout announced on its
lineup thus far.
Since a contentious split decision setback at Invicta FC 34 fellow
future UFC fighter Tracy
Cortez, Blanchfield has not looked back, rattling off nine
straight wins. Her streak includes six in a row in the Octagon,
dispatching the likes of J.J. Aldrich,
Molly
McCann and Jessica
Andrade—all by submission—as she worked her way up the
divisional ladder. Most recently, “Cold Blooded” captured a
unanimous verdict over former title challenger Taila
Santos.
While Blanchfield has strung together nine consecutive victories,
France’s Fiorot has emerged victorious in 11 in a row. “The Beast”
fell short in her professional debut—losing by close split
decision, like her foe—to current featherweight Leah
McCourt. Fiorot has also won six straight in the UFC, although
her last four have come by decision. Those triumphs on the
scorecards included top talents Mayra
Bueno Silva, Jennifer
Maia, Katlyn
Chookagian and Rose
Namajunas as she stamped herself as an elite 125er.