The UFC was in Atlantic City, New Jersey this week for a Fight Night with implications in the women's flyweight division and it delivered on many levels.
No. 2 ranked Erin Blanchfield took on No. 3 ranked Manon Fiorot in the main event with the next shot at the title likely on the line. Fiorot showed she's a tough competitor and won all five rounds on all three scorecards for a dominant win over the higher-ranked opponent.
"I fought everyone in the category already, I want the title, that's it," she said in the Octagon through a translator after the fight.
Current reigning champion Alexa Grasso and No. 1 contender Valentina Shevchenko are tied up filming The Ultimate Fighter and will fight each other in a trilogy event sometime this year. But Fioriot will probably face the winner next — a fact she acknowledged by motioning for a belt around her waist.
Blanchfield had lost just once in her professional MMA career, a split decision loss to Tracy Cortez under the Invicta FC banner in 2019. Since then, she went undefeated in nine fights, including all six of her UFC appearances. She suffered her first UFC loss tonight.
Fiorot remains undefeated through her seven UFC appearances.