Erin Blanchfield reveals timeline for a potential championship fight against Valentina Shevchenko
Erin Blanchfield recently revealed when she expects to compete for the women's flyweight title.
Blanchfield is a fresh addition to the UFC women's flyweight division. The American fighter competed against Sarah Alpar on September 18th, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 192, defeating her via unanimous decision on her entry into the promotion.
Since then, the 23-year-old debutant has a perfect UFC record of four wins and no losses. 'Cold Blooded's last four victories have come against Miranda Maverick, JJ Aldrich, and, most recently, Molly McCann, whom she submitted in the first round of their fight.
Still undefeated in the Octagon!
@blanchfield_mma moves to 4-0 in the UFC with a DOMINANT victory at #UFC281 💪 https://t.co/30t74g5SJX
Appearing in a recent interview with Morning Kombat, Blanchfield discussed her upcoming fight with Taila Santos. She also revealed when can she be expected to fight current division queen Valentina Shevchenko for the title belt:
"If the Taila fight happens and I beat her, I mean I could probably fight for the title next or maybe one more fight if they want me to fight someone else in the top five... Yeah next year... If I only have if it depends if after I win this fight... I mean it depends but 2024 probably be latest."
Check out Erin Blanchfield discuss the timeline for her potential title fight below (27:10 mark):
Currently, Blanchfield is expected to go up against title contender Taila Santos, which is reportedly going to take place on February 18 of next year. Santos is currently ranked second in the division and has a 19-2 record in her career, while 'Cold Blooded' is ranked tenth with a 10-1 record.
With that being the case, the upcoming match will be intriguing to watch. It will determine if the Brazilian can reclaim her winning streak or if the American will demonstrate her strength with another victory.
Erin Blanchfield wants a main event fight before a title shot
During the post-fight press conference following her win at UFC 281, Erin Blanchfield reacted to fans calling her out for a title shot against Shevchenko.
The 23-year-old stated that she will certainly "take the steps" to a title bout. Nevertheless, she doesn't want to rush in that regard. 'Cold Blooded' also divulged that she would like to have a five-round main event fight before going into title contention:
“I would love a main event, ’cause I feel like the only experience I haven’t had is a five-round fight. I would love to have that experience before I fight for a title. So, a main event fight would interest me very much.”
Check out Erin Blanchfield's UFC 281 post-fight interview below (3:48 mark):