Manon Fiorot dominated Erin Blanchfield in a UFC Atlantic City fight, becoming the first woman in the UFC to beat the American, and is now the top contender at 125 pounds, but her future is uncertain due to the division’s unclear timeline.
Alright, let’s talk about Manon Fiorot. Call her the Nate Diaz of the women’s division if you want. She wasn’t even a bit shocked by how she steamrolled Erin Blanchfield at UFC Atlantic City.
She said it was a breeze to prepare for. Fiorot’s words, not mine. She spoke through a translator on The MMA Hour.
She expected this fight. In her head, it was supposed to be tougher. But she knew she had the upper hand, stylistically speaking. And that’s exactly what we saw on Saturday.
Fiorot, at 34, owned the fight from start to finish. She bagged a unanimous decision in the main event, making her the first woman in UFC to defeat the American. Blanchfield had a winning streak of six straight victories. She was seen as a future champ in the women’s flyweight ranks. But Fiorot stopped her grappling attack and outclassed her on her feet.
The win put Fiorot at a flawless 7-0 in the UFC. She’s now the undisputed No. 1 contender at 125 pounds. But her future? It’s a bit murky. The division’s timeline isn’t clear. UFC champs Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are set to coach The Ultimate Fighter 32 this summer. A trilogy bout is expected later this year.
But Fiorot? She’s not one to sit around.
She’s ready to fight anyone in the division for a belt, even an interim one. She’s open to being the backup for the title fight. She’s not sure yet, but she wants to stay active. She wants that belt.
She believes she’s earned a title shot. But she doesn’t want to wait a year. She wants to keep fighting. So, it’s time to talk with UFC.
Fiorot’s rise is a testament to the recent surge of French MMA. Her UFC journey includes victories over Mayra Bueno Silva, Jennifer Maia, and Katlyn Cerminara. She also has a hard-won victory over two-time champ Rose Namajunas.
She’s inspired by former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. She wants to “be like Khabib” and retire undefeated. That’s why she’s so cautious in her fights. It’s led to some criticism – her last five wins were all decisions.
But she’s thinking about her legacy. She knows great champs fight like that, they don’t take unnecessary risks. She wants to win and get the title. Maybe she’ll take more risks as a champion, but for now, she just wants to win.
She’s eyeing UFC’s rumored return to Paris in September for her next fight. But who she’ll fight next? That’s a tougher question. She expects to face both women in the current title trilogy eventually.
When she joined UFC, Valentina was undefeated. She’s always been Fiorot’s dream opponent. But now that Valentina lost to Alexa, she doesn’t have a preference. She believes she’ll have to fight both. If she fights one for the title, she’ll have to defend it against the other. She’s determined to win against both.