The UFC Edmonton co-main event is a fight with big name value in the form of former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas, as she takes on fellow top flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield.
This fight is interesting as a binary striker vs grappler matchup but do not expect incredible action. After all, Erin Blanchfield has only ever displayed explosiveness in the UFC once, when she knocked down Jessica Andrade, but she is mostly an elite grappler who does not have great takedowns.
Rose beat two other athletes who are best on the ground in her last two fights in the forms of Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez.
She has also made a living off beating wrestlers who can’t strike with her, save for Carla Esparza, so her chances against Blanchfield are high. Blanchfield recently got soundly spanked by Manon Fiorot in a bout which was contested on the feet.
Although Rose also lost a striking-based fight to Fiorot, her bout with the French woman was far more competitive and had the excuse of a brutal finger injury to Namajunas. Blanchfield is simply a one-note striker, so if she cannot take Rose down, she is in trouble.
Despite losing all five rounds against Fiorot, she never insisted on wrestling, only attempting three takedowns in the whole fight. She also had trouble taking down Taila Santos and even JJ Aldrich. Again, if she cannot get on top of Rose Namajunas she will be in trouble.
Perhaps the 25-year-old has learned, as prospects often do, and will perform much better in this fight. The mental aspects of fighting are where I give Erin the edge despite her youth, as ‘Thug’ Rose has been known to make severe mental errors which cost her rounds and fights at times.
However, Namajunas also has moments of brilliance and has been consistent against the last two grappling experts she faced, so I do pick her to win in this flyweight co-main event against a fighter seven years her junior.
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