Athletes
Manon Fiorot Has Gold On Her Mind
Flyweight Manon Fiorot Hopes To Cement Her Claim On A Title Shot With A Win At UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs Fiorot
Manon Fiorot had her plans laid out plainly before her last fight. She would walk out with the Parisian crowd cheering her on for the first time in the Octagon, beat Rose Namajunas and get a shot at the flyweight title. As far as what she could control, she did everything right. For three rounds, she outdueled the former strawweight champion and got her hand raised via unanimous decision. However, when Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko fought to a draw a few weeks later at Noche UFC, everything got thrown up in the air.
But, hey, that’s the fight game. With Grasso and Shevchenko set to face off again after coaching The Ultimate Fighter, Fiorot turned her attention to Erin Blanchfield, another top contender who believes she also deserves a crack at gold. “The Beast” now hopes to make an emphatic statement in her first UFC main event at UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs Fiorot in Atlantic City.
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“To be honest, I thought it would be different,” Fiorot said through a translator in her interview with UFC.com. “Of course, I was looking for the title shot, but life is life. Things went the way it went, and now there is a trilogy and all of the things that happen in this field. I'm happy in the meanwhile to be able to grab this fight.”
Although it’s not a title shot, headlining a UFC card is still a sweet deal in Fiorot’s eyes. Her co-main event against Namajunas was her highest-profile fight to date, but it’s a different feeling seeing yourself as the biggest photo on the poster.
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Fiorot called the experience a “very big honor” and a “good feeling,” one that she hopes to compound with a successful performance on March 30.
In her 12-fight professional career, Fiorot has gone to a fifth round once: a flyweight title fight win under the Extreme Fighting Championship banner in South Africa. Fiorot said she did a few more rounds and things were a little more intense in this camp, but for the most part, her schedule was about the same. As far as going the full 25 minutes with Blanchfield, Fiorot is ready for it even if she doesn’t expect the fight to go to the scorecards.
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“I don't think it will go to the end because that's not my goal and that's not what I aim for,” she said. “If it's necessary, I've got good cardio. I know how to resist in long training sessions, long fights, long everything. I'm prepared. No problem.”
Fiorot and Blanchfield carry that same mentality. They have finished six opponents each, good for half of their professional wins. All six of Fiorot’s finishes have come via KO while Blanchfield carries four submission wins on her record.
On its face, the matchup profiles as a striker-vs-grappler affair, but both women have shown a well-rounded game through six jaunts to the Octagon each.
Five Manon Fiorot Fights To Watch Before UFC Atlantic City
Despite Blanchfield’s prodigious grappling record, Fiorot isn’t concerned with “Cold Blooded,” even though she will have her homefield support in New Jersey.
“I already had that type of opponent, so, for me, it's not a problem,” Fiorot said. “I think it's a good matchup. It will be an interesting fight and we all know where people see us, and I'm also well prepared for that. I think it could be great.”
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Should she get her hand raised, Fiorot expects a title shot afterward. Whether it’s for the undisputed belt or an interim one, the 34-year-old wants to fight for gold.
While it’s not guaranteed, going perfect through seven outings under the UFC banner is impressive no matter how you look at it. Although Ciryl Gane captured the interim heavyweight title in 2021, France is still waiting for its first undisputed champion, and Fiorot is on the precipice of exactly that. First, though, comes Blanchfield, and Fiorot trusts that the rest takes care of itself.
UFC Fight Night: Blanchfield vs Fiorot took place live from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on March 30, 2024. See the final Prelims & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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