It was a strange circumstance that left Blanchfield and his team with nothing to do but shrug their shoulders and move on as best they could, but in a sport so often built on opportunity and momentum, it was understandably frustrating to see a marquee chance evaporate before them. Two weeks before this fight, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defended her title against Manon Fiorot, and it wouldn’t have been impossible for Blanchfield to earn a title shot had she made a statement against Barber.
However, this is relegated to a sliding door. Taking the positives from training camp and fight week in the spotlight, she continued as best she could and waited for her next opportunity to shine.
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“I mean, it wasn’t ideal, but it happened,” she said. “Afterward, I felt like it was kind of similar to how post-fights go. I kind of took my time recovering from camp and then I put together this fight, which was a great spot, I think it was a great fight for me. I’m just excited for the next one.”
