Rose Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield: Odds, Full Fight Preview and Prediction

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's flyweight talent Rose Namajunas vs. Erin Blanchfield will collide this weekend (Sat. November 2, 2024) at UFC Edmonton from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

After a challenging start, “Thug Rose’s” 125-pound career is well underway. She faced two top 10 contenders in her last two fights and picked up clear decision victories. Blanchfield, on the other hand, experienced the first defeat of her UFC career. Before this defeat Manon Fiorotshe was the hottest prospect in the division and was considered a surefire future champion.

Fiorot is the shadow that looms over this fight, the youngest woman to defeat these two athletes. However, she is definitely the next one to try Valentina Shevchenko's title, so this feels like a title eliminator for next Chance for gold.

Let's take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Namajunas vs Blanchfield betting odds

Rose Namajuna's win: +114
Rose Namajunas via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
Rose Namajunas via submission: TBD
Rose Namajunas by decision: TBD
Erin Blanchfield win: -135
Erin Blanchfield on TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
Erin Blanchfield via submission: TBD
Erin Blanchfield by decision: TBD
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Namajunas wins

Namajunas is damn good everywhere. At this stage of the game, she can compete with the best, is an underrated submission threat, and has some of the cleanest boxing in WMMA history. There's a reason she became a two-time champion in the top women's division, and if she can perform when it counts, another title isn't out of reach.

This match is remarkably easy compared to Tracy Cortez's. Simply put, Namajunas has far better boxing. Her shots will land more fluidly and powerfully than Blanchfield, who is more of a paint-by-numbers volume striker. The question is whether Namajunas can keep her distance and prevent Blanchfield from imposing her grappling and size.

It all comes down to footwork. Blanchfield attacks in straight lines, so Namajunas should have a big advantage in cutting angles and avoiding the fence. Blanchfield's tenacity and jiu-jitsu know-how pose a threat, but none of that matters as she swings in the air and gets hit by counters.

How Blanchfield wins

At just 25 years old, it's too early to rule out Blanchfield. Although her striking technique is still developing, she is a true expert on the screen and her chain wrestling is better than the average jiu-jitsu fighter.

The key here is getting Namajunas into their hands. As mentioned above, this tests her ability to cut off the cage rather than follow it, and she really struggled with the same problem against Fiorot. Since Namajunas isn't quite as physical a fighter as the French striker, one possible solution is to focus on shooting below the waist rather than aiming for the clinch.

If Fiorot manages to grab a leg, a wrestling match begins. She can use a single – even one that's doomed – to force Namajunas into the cage or switch to a double. Historically, Namajunas dislikes grinding matches and tends to slow down. Blanchfield, on the other hand, has consistently demonstrated excellent wrestling conditioning and would really benefit from an endless grappling match.

A small size advantage certainly doesn't hurt in a fight like this.

Namajunas vs Blanchfield prediction

Although this competition was originally scheduled to be in the main event and act as a co-main competitor, it still lasts 25 minutes. This favors Blanchfield and makes the forecast much more difficult.

In general I think Namajuans is by far the better fighter. She's the cleaner, more powerful striker and Blanchfield is pretty easy to hit. Even in wrestling, it will be very difficult to subdue Namajunas. It was a terrible fight, but Namajunas proved that her modern takedown defense is excellent in her rematch against Carla Esparza.

The question is whether Blanchfield can win simply by being younger and wanting more. In a fight where an end seems unlikely, pure cardio and volume are often crucial factors. When you take Namajunas' inconsistent performances into account, it's suddenly hard to be overly confident despite her clearly superior skills.

I'll still side with the former champion, but I'd feel a lot better if it was a three-round fight.

Prediction: Namajunas by decision

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FLYWEIGHT MANIA! The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX venue in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, October 19, 2024, with an exciting middleweight main event between two up-and-coming 13th-ranked contenders Anthony Hernández Ranking list takes on number 14 Michel Pereira. In addition, exciting outstanding performances in the bantamweight division Rob font (No. 10) vs. Kyler Phillips (No. 11) pairs her with the tough co-headliner of UFC Vegas 99.

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