Could Blanchfield be the biggest women's star since Ronda?

[Rorschachxx]

Nah.

Ronda was "first" which helped boost her popularity massively. The UFC massively got behind her because there was genuine interest in a female MMA fighter coupled with the change in culture at that time.

Plus she had attitude and was polarizing. It sure helped that she dispatched of her competition in dominant fashion for a while. Throw the intensity and rivalries in there and it was a perfect cocktail.

I'll be frank, I don't think there will ever be any woman that can reach Ronda levels of notoriety. Ronda main-evented six PPV's that sold a combined 4.5 Million USD. No lady came close.

 

[NoSmilez]

Not really. She doesn't clean up as well and she isn't banging Dana.

 

[BigTruck]

Cute?????????

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

Obviously not. For better or worse, there are precisely 4 ways for wmma fighters to be "stars":

1. Represent an emerging maket (Weili).
2. Perceived good looks (Gina).
3. Polarizing personality (Ronda).
4. KO power (Nunes).

Not to say Blanchfield is completely devoid of all these, but she doesn't fully check any of the boxes.

agree except 4. i don't think Nunes is a star because of her KO power. she's a star because she beat Ronda and Cyborg.

 

[laleggenda27]

agree except 4. i don't think Nunes is a star because of her KO power. she's a star because she beat Ronda and Cyborg.

I agree to an extent. But she beat them via brutal KO, which is the point. If she was grinding out decisions, she wouldn't have received the bump. I do think that KO power by itself probably isn't enough, though. You need to KO the right opponents.

 

[DaysOfThunder]

No, that would be Wei Li!

 

[TheCryingElite]

Someone is conflating their crush for someone as general hype among the fans.

 

[usernamee]

No I don't think she's polarizing enough, even if she became a dominant champ. I think you need a good amount of haters as well as supporters to reach that Rousey level. She has the skill but not the personality.

It wasn't even the hate that made Ronda big. She was big before the hate.

It probably had to do with the fact that most mainstream fans had pretty much never seen chicks fight before and here was this badass woman who went in there and ran over chicks in the first rounds, many times in a minute or so, sometimes in fucking 15 seconds. That blew her the fuck up. Plus she was easy on the eyes as well.

 

[Askafan]

Erin doesn't have the personality or the spectacular wins to appeal to the mainstream. Sure she can be a champ, even a great one but then so was Valentina - and does Val really move any needles outside the mma bubble? Maybe if she started dating some big star she might get that crossover buzz.

Honestly Ronda may have been a one trick pony but events conspired to make her a once in a lifetime.

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

I think she'll be pretty big if she wins the title. Not Ronda though, Ronda came the right time and right place kind of thing. And she was winning in spectacular fashion in that streak of hers.

 

[chimpoehurricane]

I'm not saying she's going to be Ronda, but the biggest since her.

I get the sense that people are actually excited about seeing her fight more than any other woman in a long time. There actually is a bit of meaningful hype. Weili and Shevchenko have proven that they're not draws (nobody even remembered that Weili was on 292 until the night of the fight). Amanda was never a draw. Grasso has no personality.

Erin on the other hand seems to have it. Cute all-American girl with just a hint of attitude, and she doesn't point fight. She steamrolls these girls. I think the UFC is doing themselves a disservice by not sticking her on a PPV main card.

They can but its too soon.

 

[Pechan]

Yeah the charisma is off the chart...that was sarcasm.

 

[Sincere Guy]

She's ugly and UFC likes pretty women to promote, so no.

 

[chimpoehurricane]

No I don't think she's polarizing enough, even if she became a dominant champ. I think you need a good amount of haters as well as supporters to reach that Rousey level. She has the skill but not the personality.

I thought O'malley was hype. He punched out the goat bm/ actor of the sport. It just takes the right performance and a bit of buzz. She can get a boost. And if cute a lot of doors will open but more if she can execute.

 

[jjoaogbs]

I'm not saying she's going to be Ronda, but the biggest since her.

I get the sense that people are actually excited about seeing her fight more than any other woman in a long time. There actually is a bit of meaningful hype. Weili and Shevchenko have proven that they're not draws (nobody even remembered that Weili was on 292 until the night of the fight). Amanda was never a draw. Grasso has no personality.

Erin on the other hand seems to have it. Cute all-American girl with just a hint of attitude, and she doesn't point fight. She steamrolls these girls. I think the UFC is doing themselves a disservice by not sticking her on a PPV main card.

Too weak. She better be compared to Paige Vanzant.

 

[Adrianrmp2]

You sir, are delusional

 

[Street Bishop]

Literally female Merab. Face and everything lmao

 

[bigkick]

Not if that fight against Santos was anything to go on.

 

[Rektkid]

She came back well and has grit, heart and cardio for days after getting pieced up in the first round. Stylistically a very tough fight for anyone.

 

[Bestonian]

Of course not. Doesn't have any charisma or looks.