Report – Erin Blanchfield misses out on title fight, books UFC Singapore clash with Taila Santos

Erin Blanchfield books UFC Singapore fight with Taila Santos in AugustStreaking flyweight contender, Erin Blanchfield appears to have missed out on a potential vacant title challenge at the bantamweight limit – instead booking a potential championship-eliminator at the flyweight limit against one-time title chaser, Taila Santos at UFC Fight Night Singapore on August 26. In Kallang. Blanchfield, the current number three ranked flyweight contender, has […]

Erin Blanchfield books UFC Singapore fight with Taila Santos in August

Streaking flyweight contender, Erin Blanchfield appears to have missed out on a potential vacant title challenge at the bantamweight limit – instead booking a potential championship-eliminator at the flyweight limit against one-time title chaser, Taila Santos at UFC Fight Night Singapore on August 26. In Kallang.

Blanchfield, the current number three ranked flyweight contender, has so far enjoyed an impressive five-fight undefeated run during her tenure with the UFC, most recently turning in a one-sided second round submission win over former strawweight champion, Jessica Andrade with a rear-naked choke back in February. The win earned Blanchfield a Performance of the Night bonus to boot.

As for Santos, the Brazilian has been sidelined since she co-headlined UFC 275 back in June of last year in Singapore, suffering a close decision loss to former flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko in a judging defeat.

Erin Blanchfield books rescheduled bout with Taila Santos for August

Santos was initially scheduled to fight Blanchfield at the aforenoted February event at the UFC Apex facility, due to VISA issues with her corner team. Freak MMA on Instagram was first to report the news of Erin Blanchfield’s return against Taila Santos in August. 

11-1 as a professional, Blanchfield, a former Invicta FC staple, joined the UFC ranks back in September 2021, landing a victory over Sarah Alpar. In subsequent victories, Blanchfield defeated Miranda Maverick, JJ Aldrich, as well as Molly McCann, before her career-highlight stoppage win over Andrade.

Santos, 30, boasts a 19-2 professional résumé – defeating Molly McCann, Gillian Robertson, Roxanne Modafferi, and Scottish contender, Joanne Wood en route to her title opportunity against the aforenoted, Shevchenko.

UFC Fight Night Singapore takes place on August 26. from the Singapore Indoor Arena in Kallang, Singapore – with a featherweight fight between former champion, Max Holloway and two-time title challenger, Chan Sung Jung

Erin Blanchfield calls for clash with Julianna Pena for vacant UFC bantamweight title

Erin BlanchfieldErin Blanchfield could very well be in prime position to challenge for the flyweight title in her next outing, but right now, ‘Cold Blooded’ is eyeing a potential clash with former bantamweight champion Julianna Pena for the recently-vacated 135-pound crown. Undefeated in the UFC with five-straight wins, Erin Blanchfield is sitting pretty in the flyweight […]

Erin Blanchfield

Erin Blanchfield could very well be in prime position to challenge for the flyweight title in her next outing, but right now, ‘Cold Blooded’ is eyeing a potential clash with former bantamweight champion Julianna Pena for the recently-vacated 135-pound crown.

Undefeated in the UFC with five-straight wins, Erin Blanchfield is sitting pretty in the flyweight division as the No. 4 ranked contender. Many believe she is the next woman in line for a title opportunity at 125 once current champion Alexa Grasso settles some business with Valentina Shevchenko later this year. However, Blanchfield may not want to wait that long for her first crack at UFC gold.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Erin Blanchfield suggested that moving up to bantamweight for a title opportunity opposite the division’s top contender, Julianna Pena sounds very interesting now that Amanda Nunes is out of the picture following her retirement at UFC 289.

“I think that is something that’s super interesting,” Blanchfield said. “Julianna Peña is, I believe, the No. 1 contender right now, she’s the former champ. I think someone coming up from the flyweight division to fight her, I think would be super interesting.

“I think a lot of people are curious when I’m going to be fighting next. I don’t have anything lined up right now. I know she wants to fight and get her title back, but I feel like I’m one of the most interesting fights right now for that division and for that title. I think it would get a lot of eyes on it, and that’s something I’d definitely be interested in.”

Erin Blanchfield believes she could be a much-needed fresh face in a division filled with former champions and women who have already failed to capitalize on previous title opportunities.

“I feel like in the bantamweight division, those top five names, top 10 maybe are kind of like recycled names or people that have been around for a while,” Blanchfield said. “They’re very good girls, but they’ve been the same. Bantamweight hasn’t had as many prospects come up as the flyweight division has, and I think throwing my name in there and having me fight for a 135-pound title is definitely going to get a lot of eyes on it.

“People will be interested to see that fight, and it could be on a pay-per-view card, main or co-main. It will definitely get a lot more eyes on it than a lot of the girls that have already been seen.”

Erin Blanchfield is Not Overly Considering About the Challenge that Julianna Pena Presents

Reigning as the bantamweight world champion, Amanda Nunes put away multiple top contenders in the division, including Julianna Pena, Holly Holm, and, most recently, Irene Aldana. With so many top names vanquished by ‘The Lioness’ in recent years, the doorway is wide open for another big prospect to step through and stake their claim as the head of the division now that its queen is gone.

Erin Blanchfield has seemingly found herself in the right place at the right time. With Nunes now out of the picture, the 11-1 fighter would love to capitalize on the moment, but to do so, she knows she will need to go through a very tough 135-pound scrapper in Julianna Pena.

“I haven’t really studied her a ton yet, but I feel like her best attribute is, honestly, she’s a very tough girl,” Blanchfield said of Peña. “She goes to fight. I know her first fight against Amanda, she beat her, but the second fight, she fought super hard even though she was kind of getting outclassed everywhere. She’s decent. She’s well-rounded.

“It is kind of a backhanded compliment — you don’t necessarily want to be known as being one of the toughest people. It’s definitely something nice to have in your back pocket if you need it, but you don’t want to have to rely on it or be known for it.”

Erin Blanchfield is not terribly concerned about what Julianna Pena brings to the table in a potential showdown between the two. ‘Cold Blooded’ is admittedly much more focused on cashing in on the massive opportunity and etching her name in the history books.

“I don’t think there’s anything crazy about her style,” Blanchfield continued. “I know Valentina fought her, and she arm barred her a while ago. She’s a tough fighter, but I don’t think there’s anything I would be too nervous about. I feel like I could go and finish that fight.” Blanchfield continued.

“If I have the Julianna fight, beat her, I’d be the youngest female UFC champ, I believe. Then go back down to flyweight, win that belt. I’d definitely be the youngest double champ. There’s a lot of upsides to it, and it’s definitely something I would be interested in.”

Julianna Peña eyes Madison Square Garden return in vacant UFC title fight amid links to Erin Blanchfield clash

Julianna Peña eyes November UFC return title fight with Erin BlanchfieldFormer UFC bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena outlines a time frame for her comeback following a rib injury. It seems that we have seen the last of Amana Nunes’ inside the Octagon following her retirement earlier this month at UFC 289. This also means that her 135lb title is set to be vacant will be up […]

Julianna Peña eyes November UFC return title fight with Erin Blanchfield

Former UFC bantamweight champion, Julianna Pena outlines a time frame for her comeback following a rib injury.

It seems that we have seen the last of Amana Nunes’ inside the Octagon following her retirement earlier this month at UFC 289. This also means that her 135lb title is set to be vacant will be up for grabs.

Pena, who ended Nunes’ 12-fight unbeaten streak before being comfortably beaten in a rematch, has put herself in prime position. ‘The Venezuelan Vixon’ was originally set to be Nunes’ opponent a couple weeks ago, but had to withdraw due to injury, but was cage side for the event to hopefully drum up some attention for their trilogy fight.

Instead, Pena was hit with Nunes’ retirement and during ‘The Lioness’ speech, would heckle and boo. The clip of her doing so has since made the rounds within the MMA community.

Julianna Pena outlines return

Talking on The MMA Hour, Pena detailed the timeframe of her recovering from the rib injury, aiming to return for late 2023 where she will be one half

Today is six weeks (since the injury). In order for it to heal, like, for me to grapple or do jiu-jitsu, they say eight weeks,” Peña said. “Look at it this way, if it’s six weeks and I start going and training right now and I pop it out again, that’s gonna be another six weeks’ time to let it heal. The important thing with rib injuries is you have to give it that time to heal. If you don’t, then it’s just always going to be a recurring injury that happens every time.” (H/T MMANews)

“Absolutely, (targeting a return tail end of 2023),” Pena continued. “Madison Square Garden, T-Mobile Arena; something in November, December, I’m sure.”

Julianna Pena on The MMA Hour

Who should Julianna Pena face for the vacant title?

Report – Erin Blanchfield offers to fight Julianna Peña for vacant bantamweight title following UFC 289

Erin Blanchfield offers to fight Julianna Peña for vacant bantamweight title UFC 289Julianna Pena seems to be next in line after the greatest female UFC fighter of all time retired at UFC 289. The path to the throne has opened up tremendously for people, and it is now rumored that Pena could be facing a fighter who, if victorious, would become the youngest female champion in UFC […]

Erin Blanchfield offers to fight Julianna Peña for vacant bantamweight title UFC 289

Julianna Pena seems to be next in line after the greatest female UFC fighter of all time retired at UFC 289. The path to the throne has opened up tremendously for people, and it is now rumored that Pena could be facing a fighter who, if victorious, would become the youngest female champion in UFC history.

Amanda Nunes cruised to a seemingly easy decision victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289. The legendary Brazilian fighter was just too much for the young Mexican contender. Nunes dominated Aldana in all aspects of the fight and exacted her will whenever she pleased. Aldana did land a few good shots, and even got back to her feet with relative ease early into the fight, but ‘The Lionness’ was just too much for her.

Nunes retired after scoring the decision victory, and the legacy she’s leaving behind on the sport will surely be remembered forever. There’s no doubt that she is the greatest female fighter to ever live, but, she’s leaving the UFC behind in a questionable position.

As of now, there are no clear contenders to contest her vacated throne besides Julianna Pena, who defeated Nunes at UFC 269 in what was one of the most surprising upsets of all time. ‘The Lionness’ would snatch back the throne at UFC 277, and the trilogy fight between the two was actually supposed to go down at UFC 289. However, due to broken ribs suffered in training camp, ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ was forced to pull out and Irene Aldana took her place.

Julianna Pena and Erin Blacnhfield for the vacant women’s bantamweight title?

As reported by MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter on Twitter, the young Erin Blanchfield has now “thrown her hat in” for the opportunity to fight for the now-vacant UFC bantamweight title against Julianna Pena.

“One candidate throwing her name in the hat for the vacant bantamweight title is Erin Blanchfield,” Bronsteter said on Twitter. “…With a Grasso/Valentina bout expected to be next at flyweight, she is interested in facing Pena for the vacant title and becoming the youngest female UFC champion ever.”

A young and hungry UFC superstar, ‘Cold Blooded’ Erin Blanchfield shows incredible promise. At 11-1, she’s shown she will not be defeated easily in her pursuit for UFC gold. What’s more impressive is where Blanchfield accrued these wins at. All of her professional fights come from either Invicta FC (the premier feeder organization for all the top female UFC talent) or the UFC itself. She’s actually 5-0 inside the UFC octagon, with wins over superb opponents such as the dangerous veteran Jessica Andrade and the exciting and hard-hitting Molly McCann.

As far as if Blanchfield will get her desire to battle for the UFC gold, that remains to be seen. However, the UFC has historically shown they love making history, and, “Youngest female champion in UFC history” does have quite a ring to it.

Who do you want to fight Julianna Pena for the vacant women’s bantamweight title?

Valentina Shevchenko unimpressed by Erin Blanchfield’s submission of Jessica Andrade

Valentina ShevchenkoValentina Shevchenko isn’t concerning herself with the potential threat that Erin Blanchfield presents just yet. On February, 18, Blanchfield scored the biggest win of her UFC career, besting former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade via submission in their Fight Night main event. The win thrust ‘Cold Blooded’ into the No. 3 spot in the flyweight […]

Valentina Shevchenko

Valentina Shevchenko isn’t concerning herself with the potential threat that Erin Blanchfield presents just yet.

On February, 18, Blanchfield scored the biggest win of her UFC career, besting former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade via submission in their Fight Night main event. The win thrust ‘Cold Blooded’ into the No. 3 spot in the flyweight rankings and could put her one win away from a UFC title opportunity. Extending her undefeated run to 5-0 inside the Octagon, Blanchfield has looked increasingly impressive, earning submissions in her last three bouts.

Looking to seize the moment after her impressive showing against Andrade, Blanchfield called out the reigning UFC flyweight titleholder, Valentina Shevchenko. Sharing her thoughts on Blanchfield’s recent rise up the rankings and subsequent callout, Shevchenko was little more than amused, suggesting ‘Cold Blooded’ has a long way to go before she can start lobbying for a title opportunity.

“It’s fun to see these young athletes speak out,” says Valentina Shevchenko, responding to Blanchfield’s callout. “She has five fights experience [in the UFC]. That’s nothing. That’s not traveling to other countries or competing against their best. I remember Maycee Barber, she said something similar about beating everyone and becoming champion. But once a person deals with struggles, it can either break them or build their confidence. Let’s not forget that Jéssica took the fight on one week’s notice. She beat her, but was that Jéssica’s best? Doubtful.” (h/t Sports Illustrated)

Valentina Shevchenko is Focused on Self Improvement and Her Next Challenger

Shevchenko continued, “I have no time for anything else but training and hard sparring. I’m celebrating 30 years as a martial artist. I have a true dedication to the art. When I am true to martial arts, I am true to myself… I’m a complete martial artist. I don’t rely on one technique. I have high expectations and I cannot disappoint myself. But it all starts with me controlling my own thoughts. I always remain strong, and I am always pushing myself to be better. There are still a lot of ways for me to be better.”

Currently, Valentina Shevchenko is focused on her title defense this Saturday night against Alexa Grasso. The pair co-headline UFC 285 which will feature the highly anticipated return of light heavyweight GOAT Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.

Defeating Joanna J?drzejczyk in 2018 to capture the flyweight championship, Valentina Shevchenko has successfully defended her crown seven times. Looking to keep her from adding an eighth successful defense to her resume will be streaking contender Alexa Grasso. Fighting out of Guadalajara, Mexico, Grasso earned her spot in Saturday’s co-main event earning four-straight wins against Ji Yeon Kim, Maycee Barber, Joanne Wood, and Viviane Araujo.

Valentina Shevchenko on Erin Blanchfield: “I think for the title fight, she’s still green.”

Valentina Shevchenko, Erin Blanchfield, UFC 285UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko doesn’t think Erin Blanchfield is ready for a title shot.  During an interview on The MMA Hour, Shevchenko spoke about the young contender. The “Bullet” doesn’t believe the 23-year-old is ready for a big title fight.  “Yeah, I heard Erin [Blanchfield]..talk about [a] title fight right away, right next but […]

Valentina Shevchenko, Erin Blanchfield, UFC 285

UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko doesn’t think Erin Blanchfield is ready for a title shot. 

During an interview on The MMA Hour, Shevchenko spoke about the young contender. The “Bullet” doesn’t believe the 23-year-old is ready for a big title fight. 

Yeah, I heard Erin [Blanchfield]..talk about [a] title fight right away, right next but I think for the title fight, she’s still green.”

Blanchfield is confident she can beat Shevchenko. She’s been vocal about how she believes her jiu-jitsu is better than the long-time champion. After her recent submission win against Jéssica Andrade at UFC Vegas 69, Blanchfield called for a fight against the winner of Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso at UFC 285. 

Valentina Shevchenko Disputes Erin Blanchfield’s Claims  

The 125-pound women’s champion responded to Blanchfield by saying the young fighter doesn’t have enough experience to back up her confidence. 

It’s so funny to see these young fighters talk this confidently and it’s happened before and it’s happening right now,” Shevchenko said. “It will take time before she kind of grows up a little bit but for now, still barking and jumping around.”

Shevchenko is scheduled to defend her UFC flyweight title against Grasso this weekend at UFC 285. It’ll be her seventh defense since winning the title in December 2018.