Erin Blanchfield (8-1, three finishes), the Elmwood Park, N.J., native who received her first two UFC bouts final yr, fights for the primary time as a 23-year-old flyweight on Saturday, June 4 in opposition to veteran JJ Aldrich (11-4, two finishes) on the preliminary portion of the subsequent UFC Battle Evening from UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Put up’s Scott Fontana chatted with Blanchfield on Tuesday through Zoom for this week’s Put up Battle Interview.
Q: You had been attending Montclair State however just lately put faculty on maintain to concentrate on combating. How was it balancing these two on the similar time?
A: Faculty for me was very a lot so only a job. I simply went, did what I needed to do, and go away. So it was undoubtedly tougher balancing it. I sort of made a cope with my mother and father: As soon as I acquired into the UFC, I needed to place faculty apart as a result of you possibly can at all times return to high school. You don’t at all times get the chance of being an expert athlete at one of many highest ranges. That was our deal.
Q: You solely turned professional 4 years in the past and that is your third UFC combat. What’s the expertise been like attending to this degree so quick?
A: Since I’ve been across the gyms for just about my complete life, I’ve seen different fighters progress, and I’ve seen what they went by means of. So I noticed the blueprint earlier than I even did it myself and knew the steps I needed to take like going into amateurs after which going into the regional professionals, after which making an attempt to construct up wins there after which going into Invicta. Particularly as a feminine, going into Invicta was a giant factor for me to achieve expertise in opposition to high-level ladies earlier than the UFC.
Q: Are you interested by a rematch someday with Tracy Cortez, who additionally hasn’t misplaced within the UFC?
A: It’s nonetheless my solely loss, and he or she’s been on a 10-fight win streak. And we’re each proper on that breaking into the rankings state of affairs, so I really feel like that combat will certainly occur once more. And I’m excited for that.
Q: You’ve acquired Aldrich but who is likely one of the extra veteran flyweights on the roster. Do you view this as a step up in competitors?
A: I undoubtedly do. She’s undoubtedly probably the most skilled woman ever fought.
Q: How do you assess Aldrich as an opponent?
A: I’ve watched all her tapes, and my coaches have watched over it. I really feel like she’s had the same model a variety of her profession. She has sharp fingers. She’s a lefty; she’s truly my fourth lefty in a row, which is fairly uncommon.
Q: You had acquired a public warning just lately from USADA for failure to get a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for a prescription remedy. Can you're taking me by means of what occurred?
A: That was slightly misunderstanding on my half. I went to a dermatologist as a result of I used to be having some pimples issues, and he or she prescribed me a cream. And I do know that I’m speculated to, as a UFC fighter, you’re examined by USADA, and also you’re speculated to lookup every thing or ask them something you ingest or put in your pores and skin, however I didn’t suppose something of it as a result of it’s simply an pimples cream. I’ve used others, ones which you could purchase on the drugstore. So I’ve used pimples lotions prior to now, however this was a prescription one [spironolactone]. And the substance in it's technically an unlawful diuretic, however I had a prescription from the physician and I used to be simply utilizing it, like, topical for pimples. So as soon as I defined to them that I acquired every thing from the physician and all the data, I acquired a TUE from USADA and the athletic fee. However since I didn’t do it previous to telling them, they gave me a public warning. However I’m good to combat, and there’s no suspension or something.
Q: Was that a good lesson for you this early in your profession?
A: Positively. You must undoubtedly lookup something you’re ingesting or placing in your pores and skin, like each single factor. Allow them to know. Get any TUEs you want if it’s one thing you really want. It’s undoubtedly an excellent lesson. I’m grateful that [there are] no suspensions or something. It was a reasonably simple case and, yeah, settled.
Q: Do you recall your first expertise watching MMA?
A: My dad was a giant MMA fan. He’s been watching UFC since, like, UFC 1 within the ‘90s, so he at all times had it on. I didn’t actually begin watching it till Strikeforce got here on and there [were] girls combating in it like Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. … So I can’t actually recall, essentially, the primary time as a result of I really feel prefer it’s at all times been on in our home. However I keep in mind the primary impactful one for me was watching Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey combat for the Strikeforce title. That’s the primary combat [for which] I actually paid consideration and watched the entire combat.
Q: Tate is now in your division. What do you consider a possible combat along with her down the highway?
A: I hope I get to combat Miesha Tate. That’d be so cool. I really feel like in males’s MMA, you see extra individuals combating their idols. They’d be like, “I’ve been watching this individual since I used to be a child, and I get to combat them.” I really feel like in girls’s combating, you haven’t seen that as a lot as a result of it simply hasn’t been round as lengthy. However I really feel like that may undoubtedly be my second. You helped me get into this, however now it’s like, I need to combat. It sort of goes full circle.
Q: You possibly can combat any one who has ever lived. Who do you decide?
A: I do know you’re saying anyone, however I actually need to discover Valentina [Shevchenko] someday, I do know she plans on combating for a very long time. I do know it takes a short time to rise up to that title shot, however she’s somebody I undoubtedly need to combat earlier than I’m finished.
Q: Typical walkaround weight between fights?
A: Round like 140ish [pounds].
Q: Typical weight on combat evening?
A: I normally get again to, like, 135.
Q: What combat out of your regional scene days ought to followers watch?
A: If you happen to’re a putting fan, you need to undoubtedly return and watch my combat in opposition to Victoria Leonardo as a result of that was a pleasant head kick end I acquired.
Q: Is there a terrific MMA film?
A: I don’t imagine so. I really feel just like the MMA motion pictures which have come out are slightly cartoonish in a way. They’re not, perhaps, tremendous actual. If I needed to make a film, I’d undoubtedly make it much more genuine.
Q: Favourite film?
A: The “Insidious” motion pictures.
Q: Favourite outside exercise?
A: Go to the seashore and hang around on the seashore and do stuff there. After I went to Florida, we did the jet skis. I need to attempt browsing too. I’ve by no means tried browsing. I like getting out, particularly throughout the summer season. I’m undoubtedly rather more of a summer season exercise individual.
Q: Favourite online game?
A: I’m not likely a online game individual.
Q: What’s an ideal day for you that doesn’t contain combating?
A: I rise up and have a gradual morning; have a pleasant breakfast with buddies. After which we exit to the seashore and have a complete seashore day, and we do some seashore actions, come again, bathe up, after which exit for a pleasant dinner. After which, simply loosen up the remainder of the evening.
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