Erin Blanchfield lands a headkick knockout win at Invicta FC 39 - Photo by Dave Mandel
Erin Blanchfield talks Invicta FC 39 headkick knockout win
On February 7, 20-year-old Erin Blanchfield scored her most prolific victory yet when she scored a head kick knockout victory against Victoria Leonardo. The Invicta FC 39 kick went viral and gained “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield her most notoriety yet despite entering MMA as a highly touted prospect because of her jiu jitsu prowess. I caught up with Blanchfield to discuss her victory.
Congratulations on your win, you went fairly viral for your win, have you enjoyed that reaction to your win?
“Thank you! Yes this win has gone fairly viral being reposted on UFC FightPass and ESPN MMA. I have definitely enjoyed the reaction and I am very happy I was able to show off some of my progression as a fighter.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8TFwJ-J61X/
Though you’ve been very confident in your striking abilities, do you think this validates your striking in many people’s eyes?
“Yes, I definitely feel like this validates my striking in many people’s eyes. I always had confidence in my striking abilities but, have been building upon them even more since becoming a professional back in March of 2018. My striking and overall game has improved tremendously since then and I was able to show off my progress in this fight.”
You seemed more emotional after this fight than others, slamming your mouth piece down and then your expression afterwards, what was going through your head and was there something about this fight/moment that had you fairly emotional?
“It was my first knock out in my career which was a big moment for me. I had a great game plan going into this fight and it worked perfectly, which is pretty rare in this game. I knew I had the ability to put on a performance like that but once I actually did it felt a bit surreal. Also I had not fought since June of 2019 due to an injury and some health issues, so I felt pressure to put on a good performance. So coming back from that and getting a highlight finish was one of this best feelings in the world.”
Outside of the head kick itself, were you happy with your performance?
“I was happy with my striking in this fight and my ground control/ground & pound in the first round. She was a able to control me on the fence pretty well which was frustrating and something I will definitely have to fix when I get back into the gym.”
What is next for you and what are your goals for this year?
“I am not sure what fight is next for me at the moment but we are currently working on it. I want to stay busy this year and continue to build up my winning streak in impressive fashion.”
