Erin Blanchfield has secured her sixth consecutive UFC victory and asserts her readiness for a championship match, boosted by a win against one-time title contender Taila Santos.
Erin Blanchfield is suggesting that she has already done enough to earn a title shot in the UFC. The 24-year-old achieved a sixth consecutive victory on Saturday within the UFC, winning over one-time title challenger Taila Santos with a unanimous decision. The fight took place at UFC Singapore, and although Blanchfield’s performance was not overwhelmingly dominant, she has maintained an unbeaten record in the octagon. Drawing on her impressive past performances, four within the UFC, she is of the belief that her record now warrants a championship opportunity.
In Blanchfield’s post-fight interview with UFC.com, she said that she felt confident that her success would boost her to the number one contender spot for her next title shot. While recognizing Manon Fiorot and Rose Namajunas‘ upcoming fight, Blanchfield emphasized that neither had faced Valentina Shevchenko as a previous opponent. Taila Santos, whom she just defeated, had arguably won her previous close-fought match against Shevchenko.
Paralleled to her sixth consecutive win, Blanchfield shared her confidence in being next in line for a title shot. Her last victory was against a former champion, and this present win against Santos, who almost clinched a win against the current champion, makes her a strong candidate. She noted that Rose Namajunas, a newcomer to the division, should not be considered over her.
Flyweight champion Alexa Grasso‘s title will be defended next in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko at Noche UFC on Sept. 16. As Manon Fiorot and two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas are due to fight in the 125-pound division the following Saturday, the victor of the Grasso vs Shevchenko rematch will have no shortage of contenders. Blanchfield, however, leans toward a predicted win in favor of Fiorot against Namajunas, despite the popularity of the latter fighter. She believes Fiorot’s size advantage will play a significant role in the fight.