Manon
Fiorot is determined to fight for a title next should she
defeat Erin
Blanchfield at
UFC Atlantic City on March 30.
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Fiorot will headline UFC on ESPN 54 opposite Blanchfield in what is
essentially a title eliminator. However, a win doesn’t guarantee an
immediate championship fight, given that the title picture is
currently in a state of flux.
Champion Alexa
Grasso is starring opposite former champ Valentina
Shevchenko in the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
The season premieres in June, after which the two are expected to
meet in a trilogy clash, causing a delay in Fiorot’s potential
title shot. But the French standout is insistent on fighting for a
belt next and willing to wait for her turn.
“You know, obviously, I already deserve two times the title shot,
but you know life goes on, sometimes injuries [happen.] That’s the
way it is. Of course, I know and I believe the next fight will be
the title and I know they have to make the trilogy for the third
fight before. I’ll wait: no problem; but the next one is [for] the
title,” Fiorot said during UFC Atlantic City media
day.
However, the
Boxing Squad representative is open to fighting for an interim
title against top contenders. Asked about a potential interim title
tilt against Maycee
Barber or Rose
Namajunas, the 34-year-old said:
“Yes, for a temporary title, interim. Yeah, I’m open to that if
it’s for that kind of fight but not for a normal one.”
Blanchfield is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak which
includes six UFC outings. Many expect “Cold-Blooded” to be the
toughest matchup so far for Fiorot, who hasn’t lost a fight since
her pro debut in 2018 and is undefeated in six UFC contests.
However, “The Beast” doesn’t expect Blanchfield to be the toughest
test of her career based on the caliber of opponents she has faced
compared to the New Jersey native.
“No, to be honest it’s not the roughest and the hardest fight for
me in my MMA career,” said Fiorot. “Because she didn’t have the
same kind of opponents that I had. I had very rough opponent[s],
these three last ones were very strong. I have beaten a [former]
champ, Rose, who is an amazing fighter so I don’t think it’ll be
the hardest.”