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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Matt Erickson

UFC on ESPN 54: How to watch Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot, start time, Atlantic City fight card, odds, more

At (Person) UFC Erin Blanchfield Manon Fiorot ESPN ESPN 54 Bruno Silva Chris Weidman Angel Pacheco Ibo Aslan

The UFC heads to Atlantic City, N.J., this week with a pair of women’s flyweight title contenders in the main event.

Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 54 with 125-pounders in the headlining spot, plus a former champion on the main card.

Broadcast and streaming info

John Gooden, Laura Sanko, Paul Felder at UFC Fight Night 233

UFC on ESPN 54 has a main card that starts at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for further broadcast details this week.

Main event: Erin Blanchfield

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 18: (R-L) Erin Blanchfield punches Jessica Andrade of Brazil in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Erin Blanchfield (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will headline a UFC show for the second time in a little more than a year when she takes on Manon Fiorot. Blanchfield has won nine straight fights over the past five years, including all six of her bouts in the UFC. In 2023, Blanchfield submitted former women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade for arguably her biggest win yet, then outworked Talia Santos this past August to stay unbeaten in the UFC.

Main event: Manon Fiorot

Manon Fiorot (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) lost her pro debut in 2018 to Leah McCourt. Since then, it’s been 11 straight wins, including all six since she came to the UFC a little more than three. years ago. Against Erin Blanchfield, she’ll be in a women’s flyweight title eliminator and would have another serious notch on her resume after recent wins over Jennifer Maia, Katlyn Chookagian and two-time former strawweight champ Rose Namajunas.

Co-main event: Joaquin Buckley vs. Vicente Luque

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 20: (R-L) Joaquin Buckley faces Andre Fialho of Portugal in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 20, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

After a lengthy middleweight run, Joaquin Buckley (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) returned to 170 pounds in 2023 and snapped a two-fight skid with a bonus-winning KO of Andre Fialho. He followed that up with a win over Alex Morono for some momentum at welterweight.

Vicente Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) got back in the win column this past August against former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos after back-to-back losses to perennial contenders Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal.

Featured bout: Bruno Silva vs. Chris Weidman

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 19: Chris Weidman faces off with Brad Tavares during their Middleweight bout at UFC 292 at TD Garden on August 19, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is on the down slope of his MMA career, but he no doubt would love to add another win close to home to his resume when he meets Bruno Silva (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC). Weidman has lost four of his past five, including a brutal broken leg TKO loss nearly three years ago. He managed to rehab his way back to the cage, but dropped a decision to Brad Tavares this past August at UFC 292.

He’ll be a sizable underdog against Silva, who has dropped four of his past five, as well. His lone win in that stretch came against Tavares.

UFC debut: Connor Matthews

Connor Matthews def. Jair Farias DWCS 66

Record: 7-1
Opponent: Dennis Buzukja (11-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Misc.: Decision win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023 after a loss in his shot in 2022.

UFC debut: Ibo Aslan

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 15: (L-R) Ibo Aslan of Turkey punches Paulo Renato Junior of Brazil in a light heavyweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season seven, week two at UFC APEX on August 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Louis Grasse/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Record: 12-1
Opponent: Anton Turkalj (8-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Misc.: Aslan gets a rare opportunity. The lone loss on his record came to Turkalj under the Brave CF banner in 2020. Now he gets a chance to avenge the loss in the UFC after he punched his ticket on DWCS with a first-round knockout this past August.

UFC debut: Angel Pacheco

Record: 7-2
Opponent: Caolan Loughran (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: Pacheco lost to Danny Silva on DWCS this past September, but Dana White paid him his win bonus anyway for a Fight of the Night-type battle and gave him a contract.