Erin Blanchfield confirms Taila Santos fight: “She’s well-rounded but I don’t think she’s necessarily dangerous.”
Erin Blanchfield and Taila Santos have agreed to fight in a pivotal matchup in the women’s flyweight division.
Blanchfield has said that she has signed a contract to face Santos in her next fight. The No.10 ranked flyweight confirmed the news on “Room Service Diaries” by Morning Kombat.
According to MMA Fighting, Blanchield’s management team has also verified the fight news. Manager Oren Hodak expects the Blanchfield-Santos fight to take place sometime in February.
“I’m definitely hyped for it,” Blanchfield said. “She’s a little bit taller than me. I’m Like 5’4. She’s 5’6. She’s a striker but she has some good wrestling. She likes her takedowns off the cage. Her jiu-jitsu’s decent. She’s well-rounded but I don’t think she’s necessarily dangerous.”
After the fight announcement, Hodak sent a statement to MMA Fighting. The 23-year-old Blanchfield also announced that she has signed a new four-fight contract to stay with the UFC.
“Erin is ready to show that she is the best young prospect in all of the UFC,” Hodak said.
Erin Blanchfield Has Had An Impressive UFC Run
Blanchfield (10-1) has been unbeaten (4-0) since her UFC debut in September 2021. She last fought at UFC 281 with a submission win over Molly McCann. It was her second straight submission finish in 2022. She also has wins over JJ Aldrich, Miranda Maverick and Sarah Alpar.
It will be Santos’ (19-2) first fight since losing a close fight against champion Valentina Shevchenko this past June at UFC 275. She opted out of surgery after fracturing the orbital bone under her right eye after an accidental clash of heads with Shevchenko. Before the loss, Santos was on a four-fight unbeaten streak.
The Blanchfield-Santos matchup could determine the next No.1 contender for the flyweight title. The UFC has not officially announced the bout.
