Taila Santos has more work to do before getting a rematch with champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Santos will take on top prospect Erin Blanchfield on a UFC Fight Night card Feb. 18 in Las Vegas, multiple sources confirmed with ESPN, including Blanchfield’s rep Oren Hodak of KOReps. Blanchfield first mentioned the matchup on the Morning Kombat program Tuesday, saying she has signed a contract.
ESPN has Santos ranked No. 8 in the world at women’s 125 pounds. Blanchfield was ranked No. 2 on ESPN’s list of MMA fighters under 25 years old earlier this month.
Santos (19-2) fell to Shevchenko in a title fight at UFC 275 last June, a very close split decision mired by a clash of heads that caused Santos to suffer a broken orbital bone. The Brazilian-born fighter was on a four-fight winning streak prior to that loss. Santos, 29, sports a 4-2 UFC record.
Blanchfield (10-1) is 4-0 in the UFC with two straight stoppage victories. The New Jersey native beat Molly McCann via first-round submission in her most recent outing at UFC 281 last month. Blanchfield, 23, has just one career loss, to fellow UFC fighter Tracy Cortez back in 2019 under the Invicta FC banner.