UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier would love to see Erin Blanchfield move up a weight class to fight Julianna Pena.
With Amanda Nunes retiring and relinquishing the bantamweight title, a new champion will be crowned in the division. Former champ Peña, who was originally scheduled to face Nunes at UFC 289, is expected to be one half of the vacant title fight.
With no fight currently lined up, flyweight contender Blanchfield (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) threw her name in the hat to fight Peña (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) for the vacant 135-pound title, and Cormier is completely on board.
“She should be getting the title fight at 125,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “But because Valentina Shevchenko lost, and she’s having to run it back against Alexa Grasso, it kind of ties up the division. Nothing else makes sense for Erin Blanchfield. I tap all the way in on Erin Blanchfield vs. Julianna Peña for the bantamweight championship, 1,000 percent.”
Blanchfield is coming off back-to-back impressive submission finishes of Molly McCann and former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade. Meanwhile, Peña was looking to reclaim her bantamweight title after losing a lopsided decision to Nunes in their rematch at UFC 277 last July. A rib injury forced her out of the rubber match with Nunes at UFC 289, and “The Lioness” fought and defeated Irene Aldana instead.
Now that Peña is unable to complete her trilogy with Nunes, she declared herself the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all time. Cormier thinks Blanchfield would be a perfect test to help prove that.
“Julianna Peña recently said she’s the greatest female fighter of all time,” Cormier said. “Here you go, prove it. Erin Blanchfield seems really, really good.”
