After falling short at UFC 315, what’s next for Manon Fiorot?

This past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 315, the women’s flyweight title was on the line. Champion Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1) was looking to successfully kick off her second title reign with a win over number one contender Manon Fiorot (12-2).

Fiorot entered the octagon as the betting favorite on Saturday night. Despite Shevchenko having gone on a historic run at flyweight with her only misstep being the loss to Alexa Grasso, Fiorot was the pick by the oddsmakers. Fiorot was bigger, appeared physically stronger, and had the striking to matchup against Shevchenko.

Well, the first round didn’t go well at all. Shevchenko broke Fiorot’s nose early in the first round with huge right hand and she took Fiorot down in the first round. That was a first round that could’ve broken the challenger. However, Fiorot battled back and used her strength to really control Shevchenko over the next couple of rounds.

Fiorot was dropped by the champion at the end of the fourth and it appeared as if Shevchenko was either up or the fight was tied entering the fifth round. The fifth round was close and could’ve gone either way. Based on round-by-round scoring, I’ve seen some say that Manon Fiorot should’ve won 3-2 at UFC 315.

While I can see the argument and I know it’s not how you judge a fight, here’s my thinking. Shevchenko had massive moments and clearly won two rounds. The other three rounds could’ve gone either way and Fiorot never did any damage. It’s pretty clear to me that Valentina Shevchenko won the fight. I scored it 48-47 for the champion and the judges gave her the win unanimously.

What’s next after UFC 315?

Manon Fiorot has proven that she’s definitely one of the very best in the world and I don’t think she falls off far after falling short to Shevchenko. In fact, she didn’t even move in the rankings with this week’s update. Fiorot entered the octagon as the second ranked contender behind only the champion and former champ Alexa Grasso.

Natalia Silva jumped to number one with her win over Grasso and Grasso dropped to third keeping Fiorot at second in the division. In terms of what the UFC does next, I wouldn’t mind seeing Fiorot and Grasso face off against each other. The former champion and former title challenger will need a bounce back win to re-establish themselves in title contention. Just seems like a clear fight to make.

Another option could be Jasmine Jasudavicius who won again on Saturday night and she’s made her way up to sixth in the rankings. However, I think there’s a better plan for her, but that’s another one to watch. Given the fact that Fiorot just fought and beat Erin Blanchfield last year, I don’t see the appeal of her facing the winner of Blanchfield – Barber. I think the UFC should just pair her with Grasso and let one of those two fighters get back on track.

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