Strawweight fighter Eric Blanchfield came in in her full glory at the UFC Edmonton to snag a win over Rose Namajunas.
The fight was the co-main event of the UFC Edmonton tournament. The bout started slow but soon kicked off in the third round. Namajunas and Blanchfield took cautious steps in the first round and exchanged a few blows. However, both fighters remained on their feet. Blanchfield came in with a takedown in the second round, but Namajunas reversed it and got side control on the floor. The two were soon back on their feet.
Namajunas returned the favor in round three. Blanchfield got the upper hand and got on top and tried to do damage, but Namjunas kept her in a body lock. She tried to break through, but Namajunas gave her no leeway. Blanchfield did not hold back going into the championship rounds. She came in with aggressive striking that connected. Blanchfield went in for a clinch before Namajunas could return the strikes but she managed to land some strikes before the match before the fourth round came to an end.
By the fifth round, Blanchfield had a thirst for blood and came in, landing some heavy shots. Blanchfield landed an effortless takedown and had Namajunas in a precarious position. She held her down for some time, but Namajunas managed to break through and get on her feet, where Blanchfield held her against the fence. The fighter ended with a unanimous decision win for Eric Blanchfield.
Following her win, Blanchfield went on to call out former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, who lost her title to Valentina Shevchenko. During her post-fight conference, Blanchfield explained why she chose to call out Alexa Grasso.
“I think she already said something that she would love to take that fight, so I think it’s going to happen,” Blanchfield said. “… She’s another great boxer just like Rose is. I could see it being similar. … I feel like all the fights that I’ve had have led me up to that point. Fighting against these levels of opponents will really set me up.
“I don’t want to fight people that are not necessarily going to ever be champs themselves. I feel like that’s not going to give me the experience I need. That’s why I called someone out, someone like Alexa.”
Blanchfield is currently number three on the flyweight ranking, and Grasso is number one. She believes a matchup with Grasso will be a title eliminator.
