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Unquestionably, Erin Blanchfield wants an opportunity for the title, but the result of the disputed Noche UFC main event may prolong her quest. A split decision was reached after the flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko battled to a split draw, with one judge giving each competitor a 48-47 score. Rumors of a trilogy among the two have been encouraged by this.
Blanchfield, who was in attendance, had intended to pick the winner, but there is a good chance that Grasso and Shevchenko will fight three times. Given this unpredictability, Blanchfield is willing to next compete against fellow top rival Manon Fiorot.
“I feel like I definitely should be next,” Blanchfield told The Schmo. “I feel like trilogies sometimes can clog up the divisions. Putting in some new blood for the title would be super helpful. I know Manon (Fiorot) is right behind me, so if anything, I could beat her up, too, if they did do a trilogy next. But I want to be next.”
Although Blanchfield initially scored the fight for Shevchenko, she acknowledges the need to rewatch it for a more accurate assessment.
“That was a crazy fight,” Blanchfield expressed. “Sitting there, I thought Valentina won. I thought she did enough. I’ll definitely have to watch it back and see, but crazy fight. … I think she did (win 48-47). I’d have to watch it back to kind of remember what happened each round and see what girl capitalized on what. But in the moment, I thought Valentina won.”
Blanchfield disagreed with the controversial scorecard by Judge Mike Bell, who gave Grasso a 10-8 in Round 5, leading to the draw on his scorecard.
“I don’t think it was a 10-8,” Blanchfield asserted. “Valentina was maybe covering up for a little bit too long. It did look bad in the moment, but I don’t think it was a 10-8.”
Erin Blanchfield's determination and willingness to face any challenge are evident, making her a formidable contender in the flyweight division as she awaits her shot at the title.
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