Amid a constellation of renowned names and high-stakes championship duels at UFC 281, Erin Blanchfield seemed to drift slightly under the radar with relatively muted fanfare. Meanwhile, her opponent for that night, Molly McCann was cruising in on a three-fight win streak with significant hype behind her. Yet, as the curtains closed on an electrifying evening of combat at the Madison Square Garden in New York, Blanchfield undeniably carved her place amongst those who etched the boldest narratives and hijacked the momentum of her opponent. That win marked her fourth triumph inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon, and the American rides on a nine-fight win streak leading up to her next assignment against Manon Fiorot at UFC on ESPN 54.
Meanwhile, Fiorot rapidly rose to the No. 3 spot in the flyweight rankings, leveraging on the strength of some of the best striking in any of the women’s divisions. Undefeated since her professional MMA debut, “The Beast” has rattled off eleven straight victories. While her eyes are on the title fight, she has been tasked with a mammoth challenge to take on the No.2-ranked Blanchfield. With undeniable title ramifications tied to this matchup, the upcoming event set for March. 30 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, harbors the potential to serve as the seminal juncture propelling either fighter towards the summit of championship glory. With that, let’s take a look at the statistical intricacies that weave the fighters’ narrative together:
6: With six wins apiece in the UFC, Blanchfield and Fiorot share the seventh spot on the UFC women’s flyweight all-time list.
3: Three of Blanchfield’s UFC victories have come by finish, enough for a share of the No.4 spot in the 125-pound division.
3: She also holds the second spot for most submission victories in divisional history with three submission wins.
6: “Cold Blooded” boasts a six-fight win streak, tied for second most—again with Fiorot—in the division.
55.1%: Blanchfield is the divisional leader for control time percentage, boasting a staggering rate of 55.1%.
52.8%: The American is ranked sixth for significant strike accuracy with 52.8% of her strikes finding their mark.
2.26: The fact that she’s ranked fifth for the best striking differential at 2.26 underscores her ability to overwhelm and stifle her opponents.
2: With two KO/TKO wins, Fiorot is the third-best in the divisional rankings for that attribute.
0.22%: With an impressively low bottom position rate of 0.22%, Fiorot holds the second spot on the ladder, highlighting how difficult it is for opponents to control her on the ground..
2.74: Fiorot boasts a striking differential of 2.74, the second-best in the division, a testament to her well-renowned standup prowess.
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