UFC Predictions: UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot
The UFC heads to Atlantic City, New Jersey, this weekend for the first time since 2018 with an event that will air on the ESPN network.
UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot features a likely title eliminator in the main event, as well as a number of other intriguing bouts.
With some fun-sounding fights to look forward to, then, this one should be worth checking out.
Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot.
#1. UFC flyweight bout: Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot
While this fight wasn't initially the headliner for this event - it would've been Vicente Luque vs. Sean Brady - it's more than worthy of topping the bill.
Right now, Erin Blanchfield is ranked at No.2 in the flyweight division, while Manon Fiorot is one spot below her at No.3. Neither woman has ever lost in the octagon, and their combined UFC record stands at an impressive 12-0.
So, who has been more impressive? And who's more likely to win this weekend?
On the face of it, this looks like a classic striker vs. grappler bout. Fiorot, a former karate, kickboxing, and Muay Thai champion in her native France, will look to keep things standing.
Blanchfield, meanwhile, will want to ground her foe to either batter her with strikes or hunt for a submission.
Usually, in those kinds of fights, the outcome comes down to whether one fighter can survive in the other's wheelhouse. In that sense, Blanchfield probably ought to be favored.
She was struggling with the underrated Taila Santos in the first round of their recent fight, as she couldn't take the Brazilian down and was getting pieced up standing.
However, 'Cold Blooded' hung tough and eventually secured a takedown to win the second round, and by the third, her cardio allowed her to take over in all areas, even landing the better strikes on the feet.
Fiorot, on the other hand, has been able to keep almost all of her fights standing, largely because nobody has really looked for too many takedowns against her. 'The Beast' was grounded by Jennifer Maia in 2022, but only for a brief second before springing back up.
She has landed a couple of takedowns of her own across her six octagon bouts but clearly isn't all that comfortable on the ground, usually preferring to land a few strikes before standing.
The issue that she could have here is with Blanchfield's pace. Nearly all of Fiorot's fights have been fought at a methodical pace, with 'The Beast' being content to pick at her foes with strong strikes from the outside.
Blanchfield, in contrast, comes into all of her fights looking to push a torrid pace and drag her foe into deep water, wearing them out however she can.
Given that this fight is a five-rounder, then that approach should pay dividends for 'Cold Blooded', but only if she avoids too much damage from Fiorot in the early rounds when she's fresh.
Assuming the Frenchwoman doesn't gain too much of a lead on the cards early on, then, the extra two rounds should lean into Blanchfield's favor.
Even if she can't finish 'The Beast', she should be able to push enough of a pace on her to make her wilt, eventually succumbing to takedowns. It won't be easy, but this ought to be Blanchfield's fight.
The Pick: Blanchfield via decision
#2. UFC welterweight bout: Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley
Initially, this welterweight bout would've seen Vicente Luque taking on Sean Brady, but in a weird circumstance, it turned out Brady had never signed a bout agreement despite the UFC announcing the fight.
So with Brady out injured, 'The Silent Assassin' will instead face Joaquin Buckley in what will be the biggest test of 'New Mansa' since his move to 170 pounds.
So, can Buckley pull this one off and become a contender on his own? Or will Luque remain near the top of the division?
Of the two, Luque is obviously the more proven. A member of the UFC roster since 2015, the Brazilian initially made his name as a truly lethal finisher who never went the distance.
By 2021, though, it was clear that he wasn't just an action fighter. Submission wins over Tyron Woodley and Michael Chiesa moved him into the top ten, and a potential run at the welterweight title seemed likely.
However, back-to-back losses to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal derailed this run, and while he did beat Rafael dos Anjos last time out, the book almost seems written on him now.
Essentially, if Luque has the chance, he'll absolutely finish any foe, either via knockout or submission. If his opponent can avoid being put into a bad position, though, 'The Silent Assassin' can be ground down, and if they can hit him hard enough, he can also be put away.
It's likely that if he's going to win, Buckley will have to pull off the latter.
'New Mansa' shot to fame in 2020 when he scored one of the greatest knockouts in octagon history over Impa Kasanganay. Still, he never really climbed into middleweight contention due to his inconsistency.
However, a drop to 170 pounds last year seems to have breathed new life into his career. Buckley looked excellent in his wins over Andre Fialho and Alex Morono and seems to have kept his power from 185 pounds while adding some speed and explosiveness.
Unfortunately, he's up against a very dangerous opponent, and one who can capitalize on the slightest opportunity to win.
If Buckley were a fighter willing to play it more safely, then this might be a winnable fight for him. He's probably the quicker and explosive athlete, after all.
However, he also tends to switch off in his fights and get sloppy at times, too, and any kind of opening will likely allow Luque to finish him.
Realistically, this could go either way, but the smarter pick appears to be 'The Silent Assassin', probably via finish, as is his style.
The Pick: Luque via second-round KO
#3. UFC Fight Night: The Main Card
In a middleweight bout, former champion Chris Weidman squares off with Bruno Silva. This will be Weidman's second fight back following the horrific broken leg he suffered in a bout with Uriah Hall back in 2021. His last fight saw him drop a decision to Brad Tavares.
Based on that clash, it seems like 'The All-American' doesn't have that much left in the tank. He's 39 years old now, hasn't looked fully healthy in years, and we're now a decade removed from his title reign.
In his prime, Weidman would likely have ran right through Silva, a solid if unspectacular fighter. However, 'Blindado' does have big knockout power - he holds a KO of Tavares, in fact - and that alone should be enough here. The pick is Silva via KO.
Also at middleweight, Nursulton Ruziboev faces Sedriques Dumas. This one is an interesting bout pitting two fighters who won in strong fashion recently.
The big difference between these men is in experience. Ruziboev has been fighting since 2014 and is riding an unbeaten run of nine fights dating back to 2019 - a year before Dumas made his professional debut.
'The Reaper' does look like an excellent athlete, but it's likely Ruziboev has fought plenty like him before. Therefore, the pick here is Ruziboev via decision, with Dumas being a live underdog.
In a strawweight tilt, Virna Jandiroba takes on Loopy Godinez. This fight might actually have some title implications, as Jandiroba is currently ranked at No.5, while Godinez sits at No.10.
So can Godinez pull off an upset here? It won't be easy for her. Jandiroba is an excellent and dangerous grappler, and while she has been beaten, her losses came to three top-class fighters in their own right.
Godinez is also a grappler, but realistically, she lacks the finesse of Jandiroba and hasn't fought the level of opponent that 'Carcara' has. The pick, then, is Jandiroba via decision.
In the main card's third middleweight bout, Andre Petroski takes on Jacob Malkoun. Grappling whiz Petroski will be looking to bounce back from his first octagon loss here, while Malkoun is also coming off a loss, albeit a controversial one via DQ.
Given Malkoun's largely grinding skills, this one should come down to whether Petroski can take him down and dominate him from the top, as he's done to most of his foes.
He was knocked out badly in his last fight, but to be fair, there's no shame in a loss to Michel Pereira, who looks like a killer right now.
At the end of the day, Petroski is the more proven fighter here, with better wins over better fighters. He can clearly be knocked out, but whether Malkoun has that kind of power is debatable. The pick, then, is Petroski via submission.
#4. UFC Fight Night: The Prelims
Picks in bold
UFC featherweight bout: Nate Landwehr vs. Jamall Emmers
UFC featherweight bout: Bill Algeo vs. Kyle Nelson
UFC featherweight bout: Julio Arce vs. Herbert Burns
UFC featherweight bout: Dennis Buzukja vs. Connor Matthews
UFC flyweight bout: Victoria Dudakova vs. Melissa Gatto
UFC bantamweight bout: Angel Pacheco vs. Caolan Loughran
UFC middleweight bout: Chidi Njokuani vs. Rhys McKee
UFC light-heavyweight bout: Ibo Aslan vs. Anton Turkalj