The flyweight division may crown a new No. 1 contender when Taila Santos clashes with Erin Blanchfield at the upcoming UFC event scheduled on Feb. 18.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans including Blanchfield’s manager Oren Hodak from KO Reps confirmed the matchup is expected to take place in February with both fighters agreeing to the fight. Blanchfield first revealed the news to Morning Kombat.
In addition to the Santos bout, Blanchfield also inked a new four-fight contract with the UFC.
“Erin is ready to show that she is the best young prospect in all of the UFC,” Hodak said in a statement sent to MMA Fighting.
The 23-year-old New Jersey native has long been seen as a future title challenger ever since she joined the UFC roster following a five-fight run with Invicta FC.
Blanchfield currently sports a 10-1 record overall including a perfect 4-0 resume in the UFC. Most recently, Blanchfield has picked up back-to-back submission wins including a dominant performance over Molly McCann at UFC 281 in November.
As for Santos, she will make her first appearance since losing a razor-close decision to reigning UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in June.
Santos gave Shevchenko her toughest fight to date at 125 pounds and now she’ll seek to possibly earn a rematch while facing a top prospect like Blanchfield in February.
The upcoming card on Feb. 18 has not been finalized yet by the UFC, although numerous bouts have been confirmed for that date.
Guilherme Cruz contributed to this report.
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