Manon Fiorot | Journey To The Title Shot

Fiorot made her first walk to the Octagon and opened UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs Magny in style. Over the course of two rounds, Fiorot impressed with her striking skills while also defending Victoria Leonardo’s best attempts to get the fight to the ground. Late in the second round, she uncorked a head kick, rattling Leonardo and putting her on the map immediately. 

Her sophomore appearance was originally scheduled against Maryna Moroz, but when Moroz pulled out of the bout, Fiorot welcomed Tabatha Ricci to the Octagon. With a clear size advantage over the natural strawweight, Fiorot dominated her way to another second-round TKO win.

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Fiorot’s final bout of 2021 came against eventual bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva. After a delay due to COVID-19 protocols, Fiorot put on a disciplined performance en route to a decision win. Despite not ending up on highlight reels, it was a third win in 10 months, nonetheless, and Fiorot was on the inside track toward the flyweight title picture. 

From Prospect To Contender

Fiorot’s momentum hit a new level in 2022. She opened her sophomore campaign with a major jump in competition as she took on former flyweight title challenger Jennifer Maia in Columbus. To that point, Maia had given Shevchenko her toughest title push, so when Fiorot was able to easily handle the Brazilian over the course of three rounds, antennas went up in a real way. The performance, which included a well-rounded attack from “The Beast,” was also one that displayed an improved ability to go a full 15 minutes.

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With Shevchenko in somewhat desperate need of contenders, Fiorot appeared just one win away from potentially getting a shot at the title. The journey to that next fight was a little convoluted. She was scheduled to face Katlyn Cerminara in Paris in early September, but Cerminara withdrew, and Jéssica Andrade was deemed the replacement. Then, Andrade pulled out of the bout and replaced by Cerminara. Fiorot suffered a knee injury, pushing the fight back to UFC 280 in October.

When they finally faced each other in the Octagon, Fiorot passed the test. She wrangled the ever slippery and fleet of foot Cerminara en route to a decision win, and all signs pointed toward a shot at Shevchenko. 

Established As Elite

Before Fiorot could get her hand on Shevchenko, Alexa Grasso—who fought on the same card as Fiorot in Columbus and also a week before Fiorot’s win over Cerminara—stunned the MMA world when she submitted Shevchenko at UFC 285. 

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As those two engaged in their eventual trilogy, Fiorot, who dealt with an injury following her fight with Cerminara, went about her business of winning fights. After almost 11 months away from competition, Fiorot welcomed former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas to the flyweight division while competing in France for the first time in her mixed martial arts career. Fiorot bested Namajunas over the course of three rounds, once again solidifying her spot as a top-tier contender at 125 pounds. 

Fiorot put her contender status on the line once more as she took on fellow surging contender Erin Blanchfield in a main event assignment. Both women entered the five-round bout with identical 6-0 records, but Fiorot showed how much more ready she was for title contention with a patient and diligent performance, securing the decision win. Fiorot would go on to serve as the backup at the UFC 306 title fight, cementing herself as the next in line no matter who won the belt at Noche UFC.