Can Erin Blanchfield Put Herself in Line for a Title Shot?
After Valentina Shevchenko successfully defended her Flyweight Championship against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315, the division is wide open for someone to step up and stake their claim at a shot at the belt. Next Saturday May 31st, the headliner on the fight card is a high-stakes matchup between rising superstar Erin Blanchfield and electric contender Maycee Barber. This is a matchup between the fourth and fifth-ranked Flyweights in the world. An impressive performance by either athlete can put themselves right in line for a shot at Valentina’s title sometime at the end of the year. I will break down the entire matchup from both perspectives and what each athlete has to do to secure the dominant victory.
Erin Blachfield entered the UFC strong in 2021, winning her first six fights. She beat the likes of Miranda Maverick, Molly McCann, former champion Jessica Andrade, and former title challenger Taila Santos. She was compared to the female Merab Dvalishvili due to her relentless takedown attempts and endless cardiovascular endurance. She ran into her first misfortune at the hands of Manon Fiorot due to her reach and was never able to get close enough to her in that fight to enforce her grappling. She was able to bounce back in her last fight against one of the all-time best in Rose Namajunas. In this fight against Maycee, she doesn’t have to worry much about the sharp striking or reach, so she will be able to get close enough to enforce her grappling. Barber is a good wrestler, but we’re going to see levels between these two ground games. Barber is prone to being taken down with only a 53% takedown defense so far in her career. If ‘Cold-Blooded can close the distance and put Maycee on the back foot, she could wear her down and eventually look for a finish on the ground by either ground and pound or submission.
Currently on a six-fight win streak, ‘The Future’ is looking to finally reach her full potential and secure her long-awaited title shot. Her notable wins so far in her career are against the likes of Gillian Robertson, Amanda Ribas, and Katlyn Cerminara. She showcased in her fight against Ribas her overwhelming pressure and striking improvement on her way to an impressive KO victory. She followed that performance up with a shutout against Cerminara, where she rag-dolled her for three rounds. Barber has continuously improved each time she has stepped into the octagon. If she can stay out of reach of Erin and pick her apart on the outside and use that distance to stuff her takedowns, she could tally more significant strikes, as she is the more polished striker in this matchup. If she can get ahead on the striking, she could use that to surprise Blanchfield and use her wrestling and get in favorable positions, and potentially land on top and steal the victory.
This is going to be a fascinating main event with a lot on the line for both athletes. A win for either woman could change their life overnight. Whichever way this fight goes, it’s one you're not going to want to miss. Catch all the action next Saturday May 31st, on ESPN with a main card start time of 9:00 p.m. EST.
