Athletes
Breaking Barriers
Erin Blanchfield: ‘Getting To The Title Is Meant For Me’
Flyweight Standout Talks MSG Moments, Staying Ready In Crowd Division
The fact that Erin Blanchfield doesn’t get unwavering, raucous support when she competes at Madison Square Garden in New York City remains one of the more perplexing little sidenotes to the flyweight’s rise into title contention in the flyweight division.
Born in the city and raised across the river in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, one would think that whenever Blanchfield steps into the Octgaon inside “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” the vocal masses would shower her with cheers and support, but that hasn’t been the case. When she made her first appearance at MSG at UFC 281, Blanchfield’s opponent, Liverpool-native Molly McCann, was the one getting cheered, with the New Jersey native joking you could hear a pin drop when she was on her way to collecting her first-round submission win.
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And last November, when Blanchfield made her return to NYC in a showdown with Tracy Cortez at UFC 322, it was the Arizona-native that elicited the greater, more vocal support.
“I feel like MSG — I’m never loved by the crowd, but I always do well there, so it has good and bad juju,” Blanchfield said with a laugh, speaking with Maddyn Johnstone-Thomas in Las Vegas.
While she’s yet to garner the hometown love, Blanchfield’s second trip to Madison Square Garden was made increasingly special by the fact that she got to do it alongside her longtime training partner and best friend Fatima Kline.
A rising star in the strawweight ranks, Kline earned a unanimous decision win over veteran Angela Hill early in the night, setting the tone for the tandem. Blanchfield followed suit four fights later, dominating and submitting Cortez in the second round to earn a measure of revenge after dropping a split decision to Cortez during their time competing under the Invicta FC banner.
WATCH: Erin Blanchfield Post-Fight Interview | VeChain UFC 322
“That was so cool,” Blanchfield said. “I was able to see her win her fight — I was in the back — and then I started warming up. I got to see her even before walking out, so that was really cool, and it’s so motivating to win after that because she won so well.
“It was like, ‘I definitely have to win now; I can’t ruin the night,’” she added with a laugh. “I never thought about it or thought I would experience it, so it was really cool.”
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Her win over Cortez was Blanchfield’s second straight and continued her holding pattern in the congested flyweight division, where she is presently ranked third alongside former champ Alexa Grasso. Now 8-1 in the UFC and having fought a tough slate the whole way through, there aren’t really any clear options for the 26-year-old standout at this point, but she’s not letting the haziness of her immediate future deter her from her goal of reaching the top of the division.
“I feel like the flyweight division has been a little clogged basically since the Valentina (Shevchenko) and Alexa trilogy went on,” Blanchfield said. “I’ve been in the top 5 for a handful of years now, super-close to that title shot, but I feel like it’s all been for a reason… I got into the UFC really young, so I feel like I needed to grow in (terms of) experience, get fights under my belt. I’m not really sure exactly what’s next, but I’m just building experience along the way.
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“It has been pretty insane. I think with things like this, I just try to count my blessings. I’ve been so incredibly blessed in every aspect of my life that I can’t be mad. I’m doing what I always wanted to do. I feel like if the child version of myself saw me now, they would be like so excited, so I just know it’s just what’s gonna happen.
“Getting to that title is meant for me — I know that — so whatever way it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen.”
Grounded and a self-described “girly-girl” away from the gym who likes seeking out seasonal lattes at local coffee spots, Blanchfield has always maintained an open outlook on what comes next and remains steadfast in that approach even now that she’s closer to a championship opportunity than ever.
“It’s kind of ‘Who fought who? Who’s ready?’” Blanchfield said. “It’s all the logistics of everything… I’d love to fight Valentina. That’s definitely the No. 1. I definitely thought that would have been a good fight on the White House card. If it’s not her, I know me and Maycee (Barber) haven’t fought, (Natalia) Silva just fought recently.
“Whoever they want me to fight, I’m down. I fought so many girls in the top 5, so I’m just gonna keep fighting until I’ve fought them all.”
