Erin Blanchfield will get a big step up in competition next, and she’s ready for it.
Blanchfield (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) draws former title challenger Taila Santos (19-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) on Feb. 18 at a UFC Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Coming off a dominant first-round submission win over Molly McCann at UFC 281, Blanchfield was eyeing Andrea Lee and Casey O’Neill next. But instead, her impressive performance led to perhaps what could be a title eliminator for the 23-year-old.
“When they offered it to me – I like to have notice, I like to have a full camp so I can be prepared for anybody, but as long as I have that, I know I can beat anybody in the world,” Blanchfield said on Morning Kombat. “So yeah, I’m definitely hyped for it.”
Santos gave seven-time defending UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko her toughest test to date at 125 pounds when she was able to control her on the ground for a significant amount of time. It wasn’t enough to get her hand raised in two of the judges’ eyes, and despite having the champion in compromising positions, Blanchfield isn’t worried.
“She’s a little bit taller than me, I’m like 5’4, she’s like 5’6,” Blanchfield said. “She’s a striker but she has some good wrestling, she likes her takedowns off the cage, her jiu-jitsu is decent. I mean she’s well-rounded, but I don’t think she’s necessarily dangerous.”
