Erin Blanchfield hopes a press release win over Maycee Barber at UFC Vegas 107 places her in title rivalry, however the line to get to reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko would possibly get slightly longer if strawweight queen Zhang Weili decides to maneuver to 125 kilos.
Following Shevchenko’s unanimous determination win over Manon Fiorot at UFC 315, Zhang wasted no time providing a congratulations together with a press release hinting at her pursuit of a second title saying “all the pieces has lined up completely, it‘s future.” Whereas nothing has been determined but, Shevchenko vs. Zhang may be the most important ladies’s battle out there within the UFC proper now, and Blanchfield undoubtedly wasn’t blindsided with that chance.
“I do know that now if folks need to transfer as much as one other weight class, they’re making them vacate their belt on the decrease weight class and keep within the greater weight class,” Blanchfield advised MMA Combating. “I’m unsure that’s one thing [Zhang wants to do]. Like I’m positive Weili desires to battle Valentina as a result of who doesn’t? They’ve each been round for some time, and it will be a cool champ versus champ battle, however I don’t know if she desires to remain at 125 and battle the remainder of the ladies in that division.
“I feel that will be actually onerous for me. But when she strikes up, I plan on profitable my battle, after which perhaps I’ve to battle once more if I battle [Natalia] Silva or one thing like that, then I can get a title shot. I really feel like irrespective of the way it works out, it’s going to be quickly.”
As dominant as Zhang has been ruling over the 115-pound ladies’s division, Blanchfield doesn’t count on her to seek out almost as a lot success at flyweight.
Blanchfield felt a lot the identical when former champion Rose Namajunas determined to maneuver as much as 125 kilos the place she’s at the moment sporting a 2-2 document total within the division. Whereas there’s no denying that each Zhang and Namajunas are unbelievable fighters, Blanchfield is aware of weight courses within the UFC exist for a purpose.
“I feel Weili can be very comparable [to Rose],” Blanchfield mentioned. “I feel she may win some fights at flyweight, as a result of she is excellent. However I don’t see her being a champ. I don’t actually see her even being high 5 at 125.
“Rose was capable of beat her twice and knock her out as soon as. Rose is slightly bit greater than Weili, at the very least peak smart so Weili has even much less of a bonus at 125 being even shorter. She may battle there however I don’t see her being high 5 or champ at 125.”
Blanchfield’s opinion is probably not fashionable with Zhang’s greatest supporters however the 26-year-old flyweight received’t draw back from making a daring prediction identical to she did when Namajunas got here to the division.
All of the success at strawweight would possibly make Zhang one of many best 115-pound fighters in historical past however that doesn’t essentially translate to wins in an even bigger weight class.
“I feel when you might have a variety of success at a weight class, I feel folks begin pondering ‘I may do that at any weight,’” Blanchfield mentioned. “It’s such as you’re underestimating [the competition].
“It solely seems like 10 kilos on paper however a variety of these women are reducing from quite a bit greater [weight]. So I feel they sort of underestimate the scale distinction between weight courses.”
Exterior of Zhang probably coming as much as flyweight, Blanchfield is aware of she additionally has to take care of a possible problem from Natalia Silva, who’s at the moment 7-0 within the UFC together with her most up-to-date win coming over former champion Alexa Grasso.
Blanchfield admits she’s been impressed by Silva to this point, though not completely shocked on the approach she’s been profitable.
“I knew Silva was going to do this,” Blanchfield mentioned concerning the battle in opposition to Grasso. “That’s her fashion. She hits and runs, hits and runs. She’s superb at it. Alexa sort of fed proper into it, she was chasing her an excessive amount of.
“You don’t understand how it’s. Alexa misplaced her title, it may be slightly bit onerous for her to recover from. I don’t know what her camp was like. I feel she may have accomplished extra however she wasn’t capable of [at UFC 315].”
Whether or not Zhang or Silva get the following title shot is de facto inconsequential to Blanchfield till she will get by way of Barber subsequent Saturday on the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
If she’s capable of not solely win however put Barber away by knockout or submission, the New Jersey native that’s going to talk volumes about her personal candidacy for an opportunity to face Shevchenko subsequent.
“I feel if I am going on the market and end Maycee, which I do know I can, that places me forward,” Blanchfield mentioned. “I feel a end is all the time higher than a call win.
“I’m all the time centered on the battle forward. I really feel just like the media issues, the Weili battle, I really feel like persons are all the time making an attempt to throw distractions at me so it’s one thing you all the time must cope with main into each battle. I feel all the pieces has its timing. I’ve quite a bit to develop on and to enhance on. I feel this battle shall be an excellent alternative to do this.”
