Karate specialist Manon Fiorotto takes on Jiu-Jitsu black belt Erin Blanchfield this Saturday (March 30, 2024) at UFC Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. do.
Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks at once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.'' Manon Fioro , I love the 1-2-3 combination more than any other fighter I've ever seen, so I must have heard this famous quote and taken it to heart. can't believe it? Watch a full 15 minutes as he uses the same combo to defeat bantamweight title contender Maira Bueno Silva.
Of course, there are some other elements to her game as well. It's an exaggeration to say there's only one combination, but there really isn't. What's interesting is that despite the relatively limited nature of her game, Fiorot has a real chance to become champion.
Let's take a closer look at her skill set.
Impressive
Fiorotto has a long history in the hitting field. She started karate as a child, she joined the French national team, and then she turned to Muay Thai and kickboxing. All of these influences can be seen at least a little inside the cage, where she operates as a southpaw with a dominant physical edge.
Athleticism is paramount in MMA, and Fiorotto has that in spades. She can throw fast and strong blows at a higher rate than most of her opponents. Before we get into the actual techniques and strategies behind her shot selection, this is a huge plus.
However, boxing form has been an issue for the French striker. She tends to step in hard with every punch instead of punching in like a boxer. Still, she has a pretty effective jab for a southpaw and can keep throwing it with good power and speed. Fiorot also hooks the jab, but again she tends to throw the hook as more of an arm punch. She falls onto the hook rather than drawing her weight onto her hind legs to generate power.
It still works. Fiorotto repeatedly clipped Rose Namajunas, a far superior boxer in terms of fluidity and mechanics, with check hooks, and her jab stung “Thug Rose” multiple times as well.
As mentioned earlier, Fioroto's favorite combo is 1-2-3. She seriously beat Silva by throwing almost nothing other than a 1-2-3. It's classic for a reason, of course, but predictable is rarely a good thing. That being said, Fioroto can confuse where those shots go. Sometimes she would get a cross to the body and then go back upstairs with a hook, and sometimes she would throw her first two punches upstairs and then land her right hook to the body.
When Fiorotto throws a hook, it often turns into a punch. This isn't optimal from a boxing standpoint, but it allows Fiorotto to be true side-on with his opponent and enhance his side kicks. Sidekick is a great weapon for Fiorot, allowing him to stab an opponent who backs away from a combo or repel an opponent's counter attempt with a powerful push.
Fiorotto's kicking game is a big part of her success. Sidekick is her most common weapon and is usually used to prevent her opponent from advancing. However, she can also use that kick as a counter to a low kick, knocking her opponent to the floor if timed properly.
She is also a strong round kicker and delivers her kicks with snap. Fioroth does good attrition damage by slashing her legs and occasionally sending her kicks to the open side. Occasionally, she'll throw a kick upstairs (GIF), but she tends to throw her kicks at sneaky times, like during clinch breaks.
wrestling
Remember what I said about athleticism taking precedence over everything else? That's especially true in wrestling interactions.
Fiorotto is effective as an offensive wrestler due to his strength and size. When she took down her opponent, it was because she powered him over in the clinch or simply caught a kick and turned it into the top spot. She is not the type to take many pictures and prefers to take pictures from her upper body position. Sadly, she'll be challenged by the headlock throws that plague women's mixed martial arts, but she's usually savvy enough not to give up in the process.
Fioroto's defensive wrestling has been tested several times and is everything you would expect from a great athlete. Her sprawl is powerful and she does a good job concentrating on pressing her opponent's face into the mat. Several times, she forced her opponent to stand on one leg, solidly arming her opponent's face, then limping away from her.
Fiorotto's wrestling has held up very well so far, with an overall takedown defense rate of 91%.
brazilian jiu jitsu
Fiorotto has yet to attempt or defend a submission inside the Octagon. She has yet to win or lose a match by tapout.
conclusion
At 34 years old and relying heavily on his athleticism, Fiorotto likely won't be a top flyweight contender for long. She feels now is the right time for the French athlete to put UFC gold on the line, as she is currently on a great track record and a win could guarantee her a title shot.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Andrew Richardson is a professional martial artist who trains with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. In addition to learning alongside world-class talent, Andrew has scouted opponents and developed winning strategies for some of the sport's most elite fighters.
