Blanchfield vs Jasudavicius Preview: Pace, Size and a Top-6 Flyweight Clash

Ten years separate them, and both sit inside the top six. Erin Blanchfield, "Cold Blooded," is the #4 women's flyweight and #8 pound-for-pound. The 27-year-old is 14-2-0 and has fought in the UFC since September 2021. Jasmine Jasudavicius, ranked #6, is 37, 15-4-0 and made her Octagon debut in January 2022. The American and the Canadian meet at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Oct. 17 as part of UFC Fight Night.

Jasudavicius has the frame: 5-foot-7 to Blanchfield's 5-foot-4, with a 68-inch reach against 66. Blanchfield has the engine. She lands 5.24 significant strikes per minute to Jasudavicius' 3.47, and since both connect on 44% of their attempts, the gap is purely about output. That output comes at a price, though: Blanchfield absorbs 4.25 per minute, while the Canadian's ledger is almost perfectly balanced at 3.47 landed and 3.46 absorbed. Blanchfield is also harder to hit cleanly, with 59% significant strike defense to Jasudavicius' 52%.

The grappling numbers lean the same way. Blanchfield completes 21% of her takedown attempts (10 of 47) and stops 78% of her opponents' attempts. Jasudavicius shoots more often but has landed only two of 63 attempts, and she stops 75% of takedowns against her. On the mat Blanchfield carries the bigger submission threat: five submission wins and 0.86 attempts per 15 minutes, against four and 0.54. Where Jasudavicius stands out is in top pressure and clinch work. A quarter of her significant strikes land on the ground and 11% in the clinch, compared with 16% and 7% for Blanchfield.

Neither woman relies on one-punch power. Blanchfield's knockdown average is 0.00 and Jasudavicius' 0.09; each has two knockout wins and three first-round finishes. The numbers point to a long night of work: their UFC fights average 13:37 and 12:45, and half of Blanchfield's wins and 60% of Jasudavicius' went to the judges. The question is whether Jasudavicius can use her size to slow Blanchfield's pace, or whether Blanchfield's volume and mat game take over as the minutes pile up.

Prelims start at 3 p.m. local time and the main card follows at 6 p.m., so get there early to make sure you catch this one. Get your seat: Blanchfield vs Jasudavicius tickets.