Erin Blanchfield Edges Taila Santos in Hard-Fought Decision at UFC Singapore

Erin Blanchfield overcame adversity early at UFC Singapore, defeating Taila Santos by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for "Cold Blooded" Blanchfield, who practically guarantees herself a shot at the flyweight belt.

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The victory didn't come easy, however, as Blanchfield was easily outscored in round one. Santos defended Blanchfield's takedown attempts and nullified her offense on the feet. The former Muay Thai pro demonstrated great striking abilities, busting the nose of Blanchfield and flustering the New Jersey native.

Blanchfield adjusted her approach in the second round, smothering Santos with pressure and stalking her back to the cageside where she attempted a plethora of takedowns. Santos made an error, trying to floor Blanchfield and inadvertently giving up her position. From here, Blanchfield accrued plenty of control time with gave her the round.

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In round three, Blanchfield didn't take her foot off the gas. Santos wasn't given a moment to breathe as Blanchfield stormed her with long flurries and smothering grappling exchanges against the fence. This pressure paid dividends for Blanchfield as Santos started to weather the damage, which secured her the third round.

Blanchfield called for the winner of Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko on September 16, which is very hard to argue against.

"Cold Blooded" extends her win-streak to nine, and remains undefeated in the UFC. If she can patch the holes in her game that Santos exposed, she'll be a problem for anyone at the top.

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