Blanchfield-Fiorot Elevated to UFC Atlantic City Headliner; Luque vs. Buckley Co-Main

At the end of January, the scheduled main event of UFC on ESPN 54 between Sean Brady and Vicente Luquefell through due to the former’s injury. While Luque is getting a new opponent, per the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey—the venue of the fight card—it will not remain as the main attraction. In its place will be the 125-pound tilt between Erin Blanchfield (12-1) and Manon Fiorot (11-1), likely for a shot at the belt. The UFC announced this change on Thursday.

Since joining the promotion in 2021, New Jersey native Blanchfield has been a woman possessed as she moved up through the division. Starting with a pair of decisions that year over Sarah Alpar and Miranda Maverick, Blanchfield began finishing women in the Octagon the following year. In her 2022 campaign, “Cold Blooded” tapped J.J. Aldrich with a guillotine choke and landed a kimura on Molly McCann to stamp herself a contender. In 2023, she strangled Jessica Andrade via rear-naked choke, and a decision over Taila Santos put a bow on her six-fight UFC run thus far.

Not to be outdone, Fiorot has also won six straight since she debuted with the league in 2021. Knockouts of Victoria Leonardo and Tabatha Ricci announced her as a force to be reckoned with, and the Frenchwoman has since rattled off four straight decision victories over increasingly notable competition. Fiorot beat future bantamweight title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva, flyweight title challengers Jennifer Maia and Katlyn Chookagian, and outworked ex-strawweight queen Rose Namajunas in her most recent outing. Neither woman has competed past the third round as a professional.

UFC on ESPN 54 goes down at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 30. The marquee matchup is now between Blanchfield and Fiorot. The co-headliner will see Luque (22-9-1) come to blows with Joaquin Buckley (17-6), sporting high finish rates of 86% and 71%, respectively. Both men bounced back from knockout losses to prevail in 2023 and will clash for three rounds if needed.

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Reference: https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/BlanchfieldFiorot-Elevated-to-UFC-Atlantic-City-Headliner-Luque-vs-Buckley-CoMain-192624