Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas, UFC Edmonton ceremonial weigh-in credit: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Thanks to wins over both, Manon Fiorotto is all but certain to be next in line for a flyweight title shot ahead of UFC Edmonton co-headliners Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield .
But “Thug” Rose and Blanchfield were looking to secure another chance for themselves in a five-round co-main event Saturday at Rogers Place.
The match began with Rose in the center of the Octagon and Blanchfield circling back and forth on the outside. Namajunas landed his jab early and often, bouncing in and out of range. Blanchfield took several kicks, but only one clipped the target. Rose evaded a leg kick and returned one of his own. Namajunas’ hand speed advantage was evident early on. His footwork was fast and his steps were light. Rose also did a good job of cutting off head movements and angles to tag opponents and slide them out of bounds. As the clock ticked down to a minute left in the round, Erin tapped her paw on the nose, already softened by the jab. Blanchfield missed another high kick and was hit with a leg kick. Blanchfield tried to mix it up with some elbow strikes as the two exchanged in the middle at the end of the round, but fell just short.
To start the second fight, Namajunas landed a leg kick and was hit with three punches that sent him rolling. Erin kept moving, circling around the outside looking for an entry point. Every time Namajunas took a step, she would hit Erin with her right hand. Approximately 90 seconds into the round, Blanchfield slammed into Rose, pushing her against the cage and looking for a takedown. Rose overcame a hook and threw Blanchefield onto his back as the arena erupted. Blanchfield rose again and tried to find Rose with a blow, but was unsuccessful. Namajunas continued to come and go, and his footwork looked near perfect. Blanchfield threw body kicks and elbows, but they didn’t seem to have much effect. With less than a minute left in the round, Rose landed another takedown. In a follow-up attempt a few seconds later, Erin raised one leg, but was still unable to land it on the ground. She dropped her head on the way to her chair and looked a little depressed.
Blanchfield led off the third goal with a leg kick at the end. Rose landed a jab and a few seconds later a jab to the body and a right hand to the top. A minute into the round, Blanchfield began to become more aggressive. Namajunas sensed this and tried to slow down, but he tried a panic shot for a takedown but missed. Blanchfield countered with one of his own that pinned Rose against the cage. Erin really showed off her physicality against the former strawweight champion. With an underhook and high feet on Rose, Blanchfield finally threw Rose to the canvas. With about half the round remaining, Blanchfield began hand-to-hand combat with Rose, who was attempting to hold position in order to incapacitate Rose. Blanchfield had his left foot trapped in half guard, but seemed satisfied with less than a minute left. Rose regained half guard with seconds left in the round and was able to prevent his opponent from landing anything that would actually do damage from his advantageous position.
Heading into the fourth round, Blanchfield was brimming with confidence and was throwing plenty of strikes. Rose continued to slip through punches, but Blanchfield’s aggression and pressure increased and several began to connect. Blanchfield clinched midway through the round and landed a bodylock on the cage. Namajunas returned to the cage, punching and looking for an underhook. The referee clapped his hands and demanded that the two fighters break out of their positions and press the action. A few seconds later, Namajunas returned to space and seemed to be having a bit of trouble getting in and out of range, and his footwork seemed to be struggling. Blanchfield went deep with a takedown but was unable to secure a finish. With seconds left in the round, Blanchfield appeared to be the clear aggressor. Rose looked tired and distraught.
Rose’s corners between rounds were incredibly high energy. The message was urgent, and it was clear they sensed Blanchfield’s enthusiasm and were trying to rally Rose.
Heading into the fifth round, Blanchfield stepped on the gas and came out of the gate with a bang. Rose panicked and went for a takedown, but Blanchfield ducked it. Rose tried to dodge some more attacks, choosing to stand and attack. Erin deftly changed levels and began the battle. Rose was caught off guard and exhausted. Rose was lying on her back with her mouth open and breathing heavily. Blanchfield slowly approached the cross mounted above his opponent. Midway through the round she began to cut off Rose’s left arm, but lost control of the other arm. Rose bravely fought back, got down on all fours, and made her way to the pedestal. Blanchfield, who was behind Rose, used a bodylock to lift Rose and press him against the cage. From there, Blanchfield tried to put an exclamation point on the round with a second-last takedown. Rose showed her heart until the last moments of the fight and was successful in stopping it.
In the post-match interview, Erin seemed overcome with emotion after the come-from-behind victory. “You know, it was a tough fight. I thought I won the last three fights, but I don’t know because they were really close and very tough,” she said of the fight.
Erin also admitted that round three was a clear turning point in the fight thanks to increased pressure and power. And when asked who she would like to fight next after defeating a former champion like Rose in a five-round fight, Erin said with a smile, “I want to fight Alexa Grasso. I think she’s a great fighter.” answered. Grasso is ranked No. 3 in the UFC flyweight rankings and last competed a few months ago at UFC 306, when she lost the belt to Valentina Shevchenko.
Official Results: Erin Blanchfield def. Rose Namajunas unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
