A nontitle flyweight bout between Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber will headline UFC Fight Night on May 31, the promotion announced Wednesday.
Blanchfield and Barber are ranked Nos. 3 and 4 in the UFC’s flyweight division, respectively. The event is expected to take place at the Apex facility in Las Vegas.
The women’s 125-pound division is in an interesting spot, as reigning strawweight champion Zhang Weili has expressed interest in moving up in the near future. Defending flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko is scheduled to defend the belt against France’s Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 on May 10. If Shevchenko wins, it’s possible the UFC could look at setting up a champion vs. champion matchup against Zhang.
Blanchfield (13-2) also has a very strong case for a title shot. The 25-year-old from New Jersey is 7-1 in the UFC, with wins over former champions Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade. Barber (14-2) is riding a six-fight winning streak.