From Elmwood Park to ESPN: Erin Blanchfield headlines UFC Fight Night in New Jersey

The pursuit of MMA glory has taken Erin Blanchfield all around the world.

From her hometown of Elmwood Park, N.J., to Las Vegas, Singapore and beyond.

But when she takes the stage Saturday night before an ESPN audience, the 24-year-old will be only two hours from home.

Boardwalk Hall, get ready for a Bergen County invasion.

"It's going to be like watching my career come full circle," Blanchfield said. "From my pro debut to now, going up in the ranking and being in main event spots. I think it's going to be huge and I'm super excited to see the crowd. I love the energy."

Blanchfield is gearing up to be the headliner at UFC Fight Night in Atlantic City. Ranked second in the UFC flyweight division, Blanchfield will take on No. 3 Manon Fiorot with a chance to move one step closer to the top.

While this is the second trip to Atlantic City for Blanchfield (12-1), the stakes are much higher than her 2018 battle with Whittany Pyles. That was her pro debut in the Borgata Hotel. This is the feature attraction on a night with 14 bouts.

Erin Blanchfield vs Manon Fiorot: Local hero versus French striker

"I know she's like a kickboxer," Blanchfield said. "She's long and rangy. I feel like her plan is going to be to stay on the outside and try not to get up in any clinches or anything on the ground. I'm prepared to strike, to wrestle, to grapple and use my entire game. I know I'm more well-rounded and I plan on a finish."

For as much as Blanchfield has traveled, she has not lost touch with her North Jersey roots. She still lives in Elmwood Park and trains out of three nearby gyms, including Silver Fox BJJ in Saddle Brook. She happily obliged when asked to throw out the first pitch at her town's Little League Opening Day last year.

"I know some of the people in the police department because I've actually trained with them a bunch," Blanchfield said. "I'm actually probably going to teach a class for some of the police officers on self-defense. I feel like the overall experience in Elmwood Park has been awesome. A lot of people in the town know who I am and are fans. I'm super grateful for that."

How Erin Blanchfield got here

Blanchfield's story is one about representation and the evolution of women's sports. Around age 7 and bored with dancing, she got hooked on jiu-jitsu after stopping by one of her young brother's classes and seeing a girl wearing a black belt – an opportunity Blanchfield didn't know was possible.

When she started training, it was love at first fight. By the time her first year of lessons expired and her parents approached her, there was no question that she wanted more.

"It was something I was doing like everyday after school and I loved it," Blanchfield said.

Still, it took a while before Blanchfield thought of turning her hobby into a possible career. Then a lightbulb went off when she was 12 or 13.

Her dad convinced her to watch a women's fight on Strikeforce, where stars like Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate laid out the blueprint.

"My dad has been a big UFC fan since it literally started in the '90s," Blanchfield said. "He's always watching. My mom just signed us up because she wanted us to learn some self-defense. Then when we started getting into it and started competing, my dad got really into it because he loved watching the sport. So our whole household was involved."

A changing landscape

On Saturday night, Blanchfield's office will be the same venue that hosted the girls wrestling state championships earlier this month. There, 144 of the top athletes competed for titles across 12 weight classes.

When Blanchfield was rolling around the mats at St. Mary High School, the girls tournament did not exist.

"I was the only girl training with the team," Blanchfield said. "I think there were one or two other girls in my school who did jiu-jitsu, but no one was as involved as I was. I was training with the wrestling team. I was competing in a lot of jiu-jitsu and kickboxing and Muay Thai. It was definitely a lot more rare (for girls) then."

Blanchfield has come a long way, too. She heads into the 10 p.m. Saturday showdown with wins in her last nine appearances.

"It feels awesome to be the headliner in my home state," Blanchfield said. "I haven't had a lot of opportunities for everybody – all my friends and family – to come. It's awesome to get the five rounds and be able to do it in front of my family and friends."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Erin Blanchfield of Elmwood Park headlines ESPN's UFC Fight Night in NJ