Rose Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield squared off in a Flyweight contest earlier tonight (Sat. Nov. 2, 2024) at UFC Edmonton inside Rogers Center in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Namajunas took the center of the Octagon, backing Blanchfield to the outer black line of the canvas. Blanchfield was content to circle and kick, but she seemed hesitant to really engage early on. There weren’t a ton of connections throughout the first frame, but “Thug Rose” did score with the cleanest blows. Mostly, the two found their range, and Namajunas’ straight punches established themselves as the best shots of the round.
The action heated up a bit in the second. Blanchfield forced the issue more, which primarily resulted in some heavier Namajunas connections. Sensing that issue, Blanchfield sought her first takedown of the fight and was tossed to her back for her efforts! Namajunas let her up fairly quickly, but it was a strong message that Namajunas wasn’t going to be grounded easily. Back on the feet, Namajunas’ range control and movement continued to result in the better lands, though Blanchfield found some success with her low kicks.
Down two rounds, Blanchfield upped the pressure further and made it a bit of a brawl. Finally, her offense gained a real reaction from Namajunas, who took a bad shot and ended up stuffed into the cage as a result. “Thug Rose” tried a throw, but she ended up stuck on bottom. Blanchfield didn’t do much with her top position, controlling from half guard for most of the round.
Blanchfield kept her foot on the gas into fourth. Namajunas stilled her feet a bit and started sitting down more on her punches, working to avoid being put back on the fence. At about the midway point of the round, Blanchfield forced her way into the clinch but couldn’t get anything going. Back in the center, Namajunas’ jab bloodied the nose of Blanchfield. The former champion looked a little fatigued, but she still threw in combination and landed the heavier blows. Blanchfield threw a ton of strikes though, making it something of a toss-up round.
With five minutes remaining, Blanchfield stormed out of the gate with a wild combo. Her pressure drew a bad shot from Namajunas, then Blanchfield landed her second takedown of the fight with lots of time left on the clock. This time, she advanced passed the guard, locked up a crucifix briefly, and landed some short elbows. Namajunas eventually wiggled back to her feet with about a minute remaining, but she couldn’t free herself from the grasp of Blanchfield entirely.
Ultimately, it all came down to the fourth round, and all three judges sided with “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield. She deserves serious credit for overcoming a difficult first two rounds, as her situation was looking dire. Instead of getting down on herself, Blanchfield kept pushing forward and outworked the former champion.
It’s the best win of her career, and afterward, Blanchfield called out the recently dethroned Alexa Grasso. Book it!
Result: Blanchfield defeats Namajunas via unanimous decision
For complete UFC Edmonton results and play-by-play, click HERE!