Manon Fiorotto was overjoyed on Saturday night, and she couldn't have been otherwise. She put on an incredibly dominant performance against one of the top talents in the flyweight division, making her the biggest name at 125 pounds who has never fought for a title.
Fiorotto is feeling good after her win over Erin Blanchfield, but her euphoria could soon turn to frustration. The 34-year-old French talent is one of the best names for a flyweight title shot, but it's unclear when that opportunity will come.
It is estimated that a fight with the flyweight champion could take place around early 2025. Yes, I will seriously consider it. Manon Fioro and the UFC are in a tough spot as the division's flyweight title schedule is congested. Do we keep the French candidate on the bench for more than nine months or let her defend him? Will he be able to participate in another high-profile fight? Let's take on the role of the UFC and Manon Fiorotto and figure out what to do next.
Why wait?
Before we get into Fiorot's future, it's worth emphasizing why he has to wait so long for a title shot. Most recently, the UFC decided to pit current champion Alexa Grasso against former titleholder Valentina Shevchenko in a trilogy bout. That's fine, but there's a catch. They will meet after coaching on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The show will begin in early June and will likely run for 12 weeks. As a result, Grasso and Shevchenko's third fight could take place as early as September, marking the first time in about a year since their last encounter.
It is unclear how much rest the winning athletes will need afterward. In some cases, recovery is expected to be short-term, while in others it may result in long-term layoffs. But assuming it's about 3 months, Manon Fioreau will be on the last card of 2024 or sometime next year.
Could the UFC be blamed? It's possible, but it's hard to tell. Shevchenko and Grasso underwent hand surgery after their UFC Noce bout last fall. Not much is known about whether they have fully recovered or if their delay in fighting is simply the Ultimate Fighter's fault. It's worth remembering that while it's possible that the fight delay was entirely the UFC's fault, there are other possibilities as well.
As last season coached by Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler showed, the role of mentor doesn't require a champion and a challenger. The high-profile guy only has his two picks of UFC fighters on the show, which could raise questions about his decision to use Grasso and Shevchenko.
If fights are really being shelved solely because of reality TV, that's a bad look for the UFC. Dane Fox made this point perfectly in an article earlier this week when he wrote, “It seems like the UFC would rather kill the potential momentum of a relic of the past.”
It's hard to pinpoint the reason for the holdup at flyweight. But it is decided and final. It's time to discuss what to do next.
Should Manon Fiorot be absent?
Fioreau made it clear Saturday night that he wants a title fight next, saying through an interpreter, “I'm ready for anything. I want to get a shot at the title.” But in that case, she would have to be on the sidelines for a while.
We've seen scenarios in the past where a hopeful challenger remains active and loses the fight. After Shevchenko withdrew from fighting Joanne Wood in June 2020 due to injury, Wood faced Jennifer Maia two months later. Maia earned a first-round submission victory and, as you might expect, ended up fighting Shevchenko instead of Wood.
Comparing Fiorotto's position with previous cases is not entirely straightforward. Fiorotto will have to wait even longer than Wood did against her, but she's certainly a good fit in this scenario as well. Manon Fioreau may be forced out for an extended period of time, but there's a good chance she'll test her patience and have a legitimate shot against the champions.
It's hard to agree with Fiorot's decision to wait if that is her final action, but she may also want to fight. She knew that even if Fiorot decided to fight again, it would be outrageous. It's payday after all. Would you like to compete? Don't take a paycheck. That alone may make some people want to play the next match as soon as possible. We know that others would fight a different battle if they were in Manon Fioreau's shoes. If Erin Blanchfield wins on Saturday, it would likely put her in a position to compete again before the flyweight title fight, as outlined in a recent interview.
If she fights…
At the end of the day, I want Fiorot to choose his own destiny. I'd like to see Fiorot in another battle, but only if Fiorot really wants to. Considering how many betting matches she has won in this division, it is completely unfair to claim that she needs to defend her position at this point. It's not her fault that her title photo moves so slowly. But let's say she wants it. What should I do now?
I'd like to see Fiorotto rewarded with an interim title fight if he fights again before he gets a chance with either Shevchenko or Grasso. If she fought world No. 4 Macy Barber for the belt, I wouldn't be against it. To be honest, Barber doesn't have the same credentials as Fiorotto or Blanchfield. She has beaten names like Katrin Cerminara and Jessica Eye, but it feels like her record isn't as strong. But after Blanchfield's loss on Saturday, the fight between Barber and Manon Fiorotto becomes the new top fight outside of the main title. If Manon Fiorot wants to fight again, that's the best opponent for her.
Even if no one gets the undisputed title, Fiorotto deserves the next big match. While the interim belt doesn't guarantee anything in and of itself, it would make a statement that she is definitely the next one to face a top name. Manon Fiorotto's other possible opponents will simply be giving her lower-ranked talents to keep her busy.
verdict?
Wait times can be long and schedules are uncertain. But at this point, it feels like the right thing to do for Manon Fiorotto, and the right decision for the UFC, to make the French contestant wait and ultimately be rewarded with the match that she definitely deserves. She certainly has her options if she wants to stay active, but that opportunity is high risk. She has done more than enough to get a shot, and definitely more than the title challengers from the era when Shevchenko was beating two names a year. For now, it seems worth the wait for Fiorotto.
The UFC should realize that title challenger Manon Fioreau could land another big event in France. His MMA market is hot in this country, as evidenced by his recent PFL card bearing Cedric Doumbu. They could try to enter the market the same way they did with Cyril Gane's title campaign a few years ago. If Manon Fiorotto is willing to wait and the UFC is interested in keeping her in her contender position, this feels like it could be a win for everyone involved.
There are many ways to do this. One year from now, Manon Fiorotto might be the UFC flyweight champion. Or she might lose the fight she took to keep her active and be out of the title picture. It's possible she's still waiting to face the top of the division. Right now, it's hard to see which path is right for her. We predicted what would be the best idea, and we'll soon find out if it was the right choice.
