Latest news with #Blanchfield
New York Post
8 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
UFC Fight Night 107 predictions: Full card picks for prelims and main card
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. An appetizer the week before the main course. The UFC returns to its UFC Apex warehouse this weekend for an average Fight Night event, one week ahead of a loaded card at UFC 316 in Newark. Saturday's card won't be one you remember for years to come in terms of entertainment value, as it's not the highest level card we've seen, but perhaps you will look back on it as one that made you big money. With 11 fights on the schedule and six of them projected to end inside the distance, according to the oddsmakers, we should have another fun night in front of us. Here are my UFC Fight Night Vegas 107 predictions: The entire card is getting primetime treatment this weekend as it begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Erin Blanchfield preparing for her flyweight bout against Manon Fiorot at the UFC Fight Night event in Atlantic City, New Jersey Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber Elmwood Park, N.J.'s own Blanchfield has a chance to earn a flyweight title shot with a win Saturday. The pressure-oriented fighter is always down to strike with her opponent, even if the path of least resistance might be grappling. Barber was once a top prospect, winning her first four fights in the UFC before dropping two straight. All hope felt like it had been lost for Barber's chances of becoming a title challenger, but six straight wins have changed her outlook. Somewhat surprisingly, Barber is just a +180 underdog on Saturday. This is a tough spot for the highly athletic flyweight who can't really defend takedowns at a high level. Her offensive grappling is strong, but she stuffs takedowns at only a 53 percent rate. Andrea Lee took her down five times in 2022. I suspect Blanchfield gets it done here, and a submission is, of course, possible given Barber's struggles stopping takedowns. For that reason, I have built a same-game-parlay on DraftKings that accounts for submissions. Blanchfield to win by decision is -115, but I'd prefer to play it this way: Pick: Blanchfield moneyline + fight starts Round 3 (-160, DraftKings). Mateusz Gamrot of Poland prepares to face Dan Hooker of New Zealand in a lightweight fight during the UFC 305 event at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. Zuffa LLC Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein It's been a while since we've seen Gamrot, who was once firmly in the lightweight title picture. He is a takedown machine who boasts wins over title challenger Arman Tsarukyan as well as striker Rafael Fiziev. Gamrot's only losses are against Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker, two hard-nosed, top-tier strikers. While Klein is a solid fighter who has used his striking to win big, it's not my favorite spot to bet on him this weekend. He shockingly defeated Ignacio Bahamondes in 2023, but he has struggled in other spots, notably against Jai Herbert, who has a rough 3-5-1 record, and he has a loss to Michael Trizano, who has since parted ways with the promotion. I expect Gamrot will win by decision here as long as he doesn't fall in love with his below-average striking and takes the path that gives him the best chance at victory. Pick: Gamrot by decision (+102, BetRivers). Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps UFC Vegas 107 full card picks for prelims and main cards Blanchfield moneyline + fight starts Round 3 (-160, DraftKings). Gamrot by decision (+102, BetRivers). Billy Ray Goff vs. Ramiz Brahimaj: Goff by decision (+235, BetRivers). Dustin Jacoby vs. Bruno Lopes: Jacoby moneyline + fight starts Round 2 (-115, FanDuel). Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson: Chiasson moneyline (-120, Fanatics Sportsbook) Zachary Reese vs. Duško Todorovic: Reese ML (-230, DraftKings). Jafel Filho vs. Allan Nascimento: Pass. Kurt Holobaugh vs. Jordan Leavitt: Holobaugh by decision (+500, DraftKings). Trevin Giles vs. Andreas Gustafsson: Gustafsson by KO/TKO (+185, FanDuel). Bolaji Oki vs. Michael Aswell: Pass. Aswell Jr. taking fight on extremely short notice; unclear what kind of shape he is in. Rayanne dos Santos vs. Alice Ardelean: dos Santos by decision (-125, BetMGM). Why Trust New York Post Betting Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he's showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
Forbes
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
What Time Does Tonight's UFC Vegas 107 Fight Card Start?
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 30: (L-R) Opponents Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber face off during the ... More UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the New York New York Hotel & Casino on May 30, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) The UFC is back at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for tonight's fight card. In the main event of UFC Vegas 107, Erin Blanchfield faces Maycee Barber in a catchweight contest. The Blanchfield vs. Barber fight was booked as a flyweight contest, but Barber came in at 126.5 pounds for the scrap. Blanchfield, who weighed in at 125 pounds, accepted the catchweight terms and will get a portion of Barber's purse for doing so. Below, we look at details from the headlining bouts and the start time for each portion of the UFC Vegas 107 fight card. Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025 Location: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV Main Card Start Time: 9:00 p.m. ET Preliminary Card Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET How to Watch of Stream: ESPN, ESPN+ Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ľudovít Klein Billy Ray Goff vs. Ramiz Brahimaj Dustin Jacoby vs. Bruno Lopes Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson Zachary Reese vs. Duško Todorović Jafel Filho vs. Allan Nascimento Kurt Holobaugh vs. Jordan Leavitt Bolaji Oki vs. Michael Aswell Rayanne dos Santos vs. Alice Ardelean LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 30: (L-R) Opponents Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber face off during the ... More UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the New York New York Hotel & Casino on May 30, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Blanchfield (13-2) is the No. 4 fighter in the official UFC women's flyweight rankings. The 26-year-old Blanchfield was riding a nine-fight winning streak when she faced Manon Fiorot in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in March 2024. Fiorot won that bout with ease, ringing up three 50-45 scores from the judges. The victory earned Fiorot a UFC 315 matchup against UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, a bout Shevchenko won via decision. Blanchfield took a step back toward a title fight in November when she scored a decision win over former UFC women's strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. Barber (14-2) is the No. 5 fighter in the UFC women's 125-pound division. She opened her UFC career with a 3-2 record, but is undefeated since dropping back-to-back decisions to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso in 2020 and 2021. The 27-year-old Barber is riding a six-fight winning streak heading into UFC Vegas 107. Her most recent victory was a March 2024 decision win over Katlyn Cerminara. Barber was schedule to face Rose Namajunas in July 2024, but she dropped out of that fight due to illness. Barber later revealed she had Epstein-barr virus. In December she told Morning Kombat, "Everything's going great now. It has been a long journey. I was so bummed when – well, first of all, I was so excited to fight Rose because not only was I fighting Rose, but I was also fighting in Denver where I made my UFC debut. So for me, it was my first main event. "It was a very huge opportunity for me, and I was so excited and then I was devastated when I was told, 'Hey look, you're not going to fight on this card.' Obviously the health is more important. So I was very devastated, but I have made a lot of progress coming forward, and I can't wait to be back." We will have more on tonight's UFC Vegas 107 fight night, including results, reactions, highlights and more.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ESPN 68 video: Erin Blanchfield, Maycee Barber official –\u00a0but with a weight miss
UFC on ESPN 68 video: Erin Blanchfield, Maycee Barber official – but with a weight miss LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC's return on its home turf in Las Vegas after a week off is set after the headliners stepped on the scale Friday – but there was a miss. Ahead of UFC on ESPN 68 (ESPN, ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, Erin Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Maycee Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) had to contend with the official weigh-ins. For Blanchfield, it was no issue. She came to the scale early in the window and made 125 pounds – championship weight, even though she had a 1-pound allowance in a non-title bout. But Barber was 127 on her first attempt, and without clothes with the screen in place, she was 126.5. Although she could have continued to try to lose just a half-pound to avoid a penalty, Barber almost immediately told the commission representative she was done cutting weight. She will surrender a percentage of her purse to Blanchfield as a penalty. Barber is fighting for the first time in nearly 15 months. She brings a six-fight winning streak to the bout, but is a significant underdog in the fight. The weight miss is the first of her career. Check out the video from Barber and Blanchfield's trips to the scale above.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC Vegas 107 predictions, odds, full card preview: Is Maycee Barber a real title challenger?
The future could finally be now for Maycee Barber, starting at UFC Vegas 107. Barber takes on her fellow top-ranked flyweight contender in Saturday night's UFC main event. A win would extend her hot streak to seven straight, and though Barber may not have fulfilled her goal of becoming the youngest UFC champion of all time, it'd put her at the forefront of title talks. On the other side, Erin Blanchfield can steal that shine, re-cementing herself as a future star of the division. Advertisement UFC Vegas 107 is nothing to write home about, but the main event is excellent, and a handful of other notable contenders are in action as well. We'll leave it at that, but that doesn't mean we don't have predictions to make, folks. 👑 UFC Vegas 107's lineup Crown grade: D. 👑 Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. Erin Blanchfield plans to get back on a winning streak at the expense of Maycee Barber. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) 125 pounds: Erin Blanchfield (-250) vs. Maycee Barber (+200) As much as I'd love to see UFC Vegas 107's main event in an arena full of fans on a PPV main card or something like that, I am glad that the ladies will have five potential rounds to work with. Let's start there, and throw out the fact that this is Barber's first five-round fight of her 16-fight career. Despite Barber's cardio having shown no problematic signs thus far, she stylistically will have an uphill battle if the fight drags out. Blanchfield is a relentless force on the ground, and that factor, along with her activity advantage, is surely what gives her the edge in the eyes of the oddsmakers. Advertisement I've been high on Blanchfield since day one, when she was showing early BJJ supremacy and winning her way to an Eddie Bravo Invitational championship at age 19. It's been ride or die en route to the top of the mountain, and she was right there, ready to challenge for gold had she gotten past Manon Fiorot in March 2024. The unanimous decision defeat ultimately may have been worth it, as Blanchfield was proven unready for a moment like that. Still just 26, her rebound win over former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas last November was a good appetizer to build back toward this inevitable Barber collision. The flyweight contenders were booked to fight in late 2021 and only found heaps of success afterward, with fans wondering how it would have played out. Barber has consistently proven to be one of the most aggressive and damaging strikers at 125 pounds. Her nasty clinch work and power combinations give anyone fits, making for a vast area of contention when she and Blanchfield meet in the pocket. Advertisement This fight boils down to how much damage Blanchfield can endure and how many takedowns Barber can defend. In the latter case, she'll want to avoid as many as possible because her chances of surviving submissions or getting controlled are worse than Barber's ability to withstand punishment. Although she's on a great six-fight winning streak, Barber has been taken down by all of those opponents. At first glance, I actually leaned Barber in this matchup, which is something I'd never have done until the Blanchfield vs. Fiorot fight. However, the extra time and Barber's suspect grappling defense keep me in favor of New Jersey's flyweight phenom. Pick: Blanchfield 155 pounds: Mateusz Gamrot (-170) vs. L'udovit Klein (+140) Does anyone else smell a trap fight in UFC Vegas 107's co-main event? Advertisement Mateusz Gamrot is one of the best lightweight fighters on the planet and should be fighting fights that show the world as much. That's no offense to L'udovit Klein, it's just the truth. Gamrot, quite literally, is so good that no one in the top 15 wanted to fight him for his No. 7 spot. That includes the No. 1 Arman Tsarukyan, who is being forced to re-earn his title shot, and who also saw his last loss come from Gamrot. The lightweight division is just all sorts of messed up right now. Regardless, we have what should be a great matchup despite the odd optics. Gamrot is technically masterful and sharp in every aspect of MMA, making him a problem for everyone. Klein is equally well-rounded and talented in his own right; he'll just be a step behind in this one, requiring a finish to secure the win. Unfortunately for him, Gamrot has never been finished. Pick: Gamrot 170 pounds: Ramiz Brahimaj (+300) vs. Billy Ray Goff (-375) I don't know when it happened, but Billy Goff added "Ray" to his name somewhere along the way. Advertisement It's been over a year since Goff last fought, coming up short in his sophomore Octagon appearance vs. Trey Waters. Meanwhile, Ramiz Brahimaj fought the week after Goff, dropping a unanimous decision to Themba Gorimbo before he knocked out Mickey Gall in November. Brahimaj has been as hot-and-cold as it gets since 2018. He's alternated wins and losses in his last 10 fights, winning his matchups with opponents who arguably aren't quite UFC caliber. The 26-year-old Goff has primarily been a finishing machine the past five years, and while stopping Brahimaj will be no easy task, the overall complete game of Goff should be too much for the inconsistent Brahimaj. Pick: Goff Dustin Jacoby is in the lone light heavyweight bout of the night at UFC Vegas 107. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) (Chris Unger via Getty Images) 205 pounds: Dustin Jacoby (-200) vs. Bruno Lopes (+165) The light heavyweight division has been weird since Jon Jones left it in the dust five years back. Let's look at the 37-year-old former GLORY Kickboxing champ Dustin Jacoby as a prime example. Right when you think the Marc Montoya product might be done, he goes out and puts away the 27-year-old Vitor Petrino in style last December. Advertisement On the other hand, Bruno Lopes is somewhat of a sneaky rising prospect in the 205-pound ranks, riding a solid three-fight winning streak with only a single loss in his 15-fight career. In terms of pure striking, Jacoby should be able to control this matchup and do as he pleases. Lopes has just proven to be more dangerous in all areas of MMA. His last win over the previously undefeated Magomed Gadzhiyasulov was somewhat of an eye-opener as well. I'm surprised the oddsmakers are giving the edge to Jacoby, but ultimately, I expect Lopes to wear down the seasoned veteran. Pick: Lopes 135 pounds: Ketlen Vieira (+110) vs. Macy Chiasson (-135) Why settle for one "Macy" when we can have two? That was the matchmakers' thoughts going into UFC Vegas 107, anyway. That's right. Macy Chiasson is also in action this weekend, friends. Advertisement One of my proudest predictions of 2024 was Chiasson's war with Mayra Bueno Silva delivering at UFC 303 last June. The win was so good that Chiasson finds herself favored going into an extremely difficult bout with Brazil's Ketlen Vieira. At this stage in, let's just say life, what more can be said about women's bantamweight? It simply is what it is — and that isn't necessarily good compared to its arrival in the UFC. These are two of the division's consistent best, though. Had some decisions been judged slightly differently, we'd be having some very different conversations about how the title scene shook out, particularly regarding Vieira. Chiasson has been massive for the division since she dropped from featherweight, but that's not to say she'll outsize Vieira. We've often seen Chiasson bully and batter her opponents with strikes, clinching or at distance. Her grappling has improved tremendously since she won The Ultimate Fighter 28 in 2018. However, Vieira is one of the best "nullifiers" south of 145. Her mix of judo and wrestling has been problematic for anyone less than superior to her in those realms (like Kayla Harrison), but she can be inactive with her damage output. Tactically, Vieira just has a tighter overall package to her MMA craft. Chiasson is the more dangerous, but she will have to fight for her breathing room to unleash offense. Advertisement Pick: Vieira 185 pounds: Zachary Reese (-250) vs. Dusko Todorovic (+200) Fights don't get much more "must-win" than this for Dusko Todorovic. "Thunder" started his career a perfect 10-0, reaching that mark with his UFC debut in 2020. He's now 12-5 and had his chin shattered in four of those losses. It's somewhat surprising that he's still getting another shot off the heels of back-to-back first-round knockout losses. The dude goes out on his shield, and that makes for a great highlight booster. You hate to say that, but that's the reality of the situation. Zachary Reese has also only lost by knockout, dropping two of his 10 career fights. He just hasn't been bolted as often and brutally as Todorovic. That's damage accumulation, folks. We're not getting too deep with this one. Todorovic simply won't be able to take as much damage as Reese at the speed at which they'll collide. Advertisement Pick: Reese Allan Nascimento seeks his third straight win at UFC Vegas 107. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) (Chris Unger via Getty Images) Preliminary notes I had thought it had been a minute since Allan Nascimento fought. Then his record swiftly reminded me of the myriad of cancellations he's had, keeping him out of action since January 2023. Put the inactivity aside, you'll easily forget how legit the guy is because of it. Other than the Charles Oliveira teammate, I'll highlight another Brazilian in the former Invicta FC atomweight champion Rayanne dos Santos. It's been an incredibly demoralizing start to dos Santos' UFC career, losing back-to-back split decisions she very easily should have or could have won. Regardless, she's clearly much better at 105 pounds, but a loss to Alice Ardelean would permanently kill her UFC career. (As a strawweight.) Advertisement Quick picks: Allan Nascimento (-150) def. Jafel Filho (+125) Jordan Leavitt (-220) def. Kurt Holobaugh (+180) Andreas Gustafsson (-170) def. Trevin Giles (+140) Bolaji Oki (-350) def. Michael Aswell (+275) Rayanne dos Santos (-275) def. Alice Ardelean (+220)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Erin Blanchfield has put it all together at just 26 — and that's a scary thought for UFC women's flyweights
The first time Erin Blanchfield appeared in a main event was a little over two years ago, when she headlined a UFC Fight Night card against Jessica Andrade at the Apex. You might remember how that one went down. Andrade came out headhunting until Blanchfield shot for her first takedown early in the second round, immediately took side control, then sunk a rear-naked choke before the commentators could really get into the meat of their notes. That's when Blanchfield first arrived. She was just 23 at the time. Advertisement Yet her second main event might be the one that comes to define her. Or at least, the fight that went into necessary scaffolding of what she hopes is a championship run. That one came last spring in her home state of New Jersey, a showroom booking against Manon Fiorot in Atlantic City. It was a partisan crowd at Boardwalk Hall, there to see the upstart Blanchfield — who was 6-0 in the UFC to that point and carried the nickname of 'Cold-Blooded' — punch her ticket to a title shot. Yet what happened was closer to existential vertigo. Fiorot shut her down for five full rounds, rendering all of what made Blanchfield the women's most dominant prospect — the pressure, the pace, the managing of distance and the changing of levels — all but moot. Fiorot forced Blanchfield to produce a Plan B. Problem was, there wasn't a Plan B. Up until that point, Plan A had always worked. Advertisement Yet sometimes a hard night at the office is exactly what a young fighter needs, a night when you're forced to look more closely at your own shortcomings. If the now 26-year-old Blanchfield's rebound performance against Rose Namajunas in November is any indication, the old fight game proverb still holds true: 'You learn more from your losses …' Erin Blanchfield punches Rose Namajunas in a flyweight fight during a UFC Fight Night event at Rogers Place on Nov. 2, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) 'I think you really do,' Blanchfield told Uncrowned. 'I've had a few losses in my career, and I feel like after I've lost, I've learned the most because it really pushes you. You don't want to lose again, and it really exposes your weaknesses. I feel like I was able to look back on that [Fiorot] fight and adjust and come back and start building a winning streak again.' She could hit two consecutive wins if she can take care of business in what will be her third main event Saturday against Maycee Barber at the Apex. It hasn't officially been dubbed a title eliminator in the women's flyweight division, but an emphatic win either way could certainly sway the matchmakers. Right now, Brazil's Natalia Silva sits as the No. 1 contender for champion Valentina Shevchenko, and there's always the possibility strawweight champ Zhang Weili could move up to try to win a second title. Advertisement None of that matters to Blanchfield, who's orbited the title for the last few years. In a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, she knows the importance of making the case whenever the spotlight comes around. 'I feel like getting a really good win, like a finish on Saturday, it could put me right in a title picture,' she says. 'I've been fighting top five for the last two years now, so I feel like it's been a really good experience for me and just prepping me for when I do get that title shot. 'But I don't feel like there's a huge hurry [to get the title shot]. I've been in the top five for a while, but I think people forget how young I was in the top five, only 23 when I first got in. So I think I needed that experience and I needed those fights, so whichever way it goes, I know I plan on being undeniable and keep winning and improving, so I'll get there.' If her and Barber share a connection, it's that both are still young (Barber just turned 27), both have carried big expectations since they were ridiculously young (when Barber was 21, she vowed to become the youngest champ in UFC history until 10-to-1 underdog Roxanne Modafferi upset her), and both have been battle-tested (Barber's loss to Alexa Grasso all but dropper her out of top-10 talk for years). Advertisement If anything, this weekend's fight is meant to serve as a reminder the youth movement is still very much underway. That yesterday's phenoms are now carrying experience. The growth of Blanchfield lies in the details of the Namajunas fight, which was taking a bad turn early — much like the Fiorot bout. Namajunas was holding court in first couple of rounds. It looked like Blanchfield was headed toward a second straight loss, yet this time she was able to overcome the slow start. 'She's a really good boxer,' Blanchfield says of Namajunas. 'I feel like the first two rounds she out-pointed me a bit. She was kind of getting her shots off, and she was countering really well. But I was able to get my takedown in the third round and then in the fourth round I began out-striking her.' That's when vintage 'Cold-Blooded' Blanchfield began to take over. Advertisement 'I could feel that I was beating her there, and then the fifth round I was able to take her down again and beat her from there. I had a little bit of bad start, but she's also really talented and then I was able to build as the fight went.' Back when Blanchfield was coming up, she would overwhelm people by dictating where the fight would take place. She dragged JJ Aldrich into the deep water before submitting her in the second round. She all but ruined the hype of Molly McCann in what was a lopsided affair at UFC 281. She controlled Miranda Maverick and Taila Santos as if holding them in custody, racking up control times that have made those betting the over at times very happy. What Blanchfield likes to do is break an opponent mentally and physically. Advertisement In fact, she's been so predictably dominant that some people have accused her of being the one word no fighter wants to be associated with. Boring. 'I wouldn't say I'm a boring fighter,' Blanchfield says. 'I would say I'm a technical fighter. I try to bring the fight where I want to fight, to make it my fight. I think I've gotten a lot of finishes. I've got a lot of finishes, with my jiu-jitsu, and I want to get some finishes with my striking as well. My goal is always to try to finish people.' She'll get another chance Saturday against a fighter who has led the chorus of saying Blanchfield is boring. Never mind that Barber has just one finish in the last six years (to Blanchfield's five), a little bad blood never hurts. Advertisement '[Maycee]'s been outspoken,' Blanchfield says. 'I plan on going there Saturday and finishing her. I mean, I know people always say they need to talk, right? They need to talk whether they're trying to build up a fight or make themselves feel better, so that's kind of where I put that.' Where Blanchfield has always done her loudest talking is in the Octagon. The Namajunas fight told us that she's back. Back to dictating the fight on her own terms. Back to figuring people out. Back to breaking people in a way that makes her becoming a champion more a question of when rather than if. 'I feel like you can tell [when somebody is breaking], especially when people start getting gassed, they'll be taking these deep breaths,' she says, almost too happily. 'I've been in fights where I'm fighting them and I've seen them take a big breath and you're like, 'Oh, I know you're tired, it's my time to go.' Or you feel them crumbling under your strikes. So, yeah, those are the moments you can feel you're breaking someone.'
