Philadelphia UFC 330 Features This New Jersey Top Ranked Fighter

While New Jersey UFC fans have seen two Atlantic City UFC Fight Nights hosted at Boardwalk Hall since 2018, Philadelphia has only hosted three UFC events over the last 20 years:

-UFC 101 in 2009
-UFC 133 in 2011
-UFC on ESPN 2 in 2019

When UFC President and CEO Dana White made the announcement official that the UFC would be returning to Philadelphia after a seven-year absence, many fight fans were curious how many local fighters would get the opportunity to be a part of this event.

Now that we are past the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, the fight sports world is back to "business as usual", and we are now getting a clearer picture of who will be fighting in Philadelphia this August.

New Jersey Fighter Joins UFC 330 Fight Card Featuring Two Title Fights

This week, UFC President/CEO Dana White announced that this summer's Philadelphia event will have two championship fights:

*Islam Makhachev will defend his Welterweight Belt against Number One Contender Ian Machado Garry.
- A protégé of Mixed Martial Arts Legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 34-year-old defended the Lightweight Championship four times before moving up to Welterweight and winning the title in November 2025
-Ian Machado Garry is 10-1 over the last six years, he was inspired by fellow Irishman Conor McGregor rise to fame, and is a Judo Black Belt.

*Mackenzie Dern makes her first defense of the Women's Strawweight Title against Number 5 ranked 115 pound fighter Gillian Robertson.
-The 33-year-old Dern had a rollercoaster run in the UFC from 2019 to 2024 before she got a real shot at the championship belt in 2025. Dern was a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Grappler before joining the UFC.
-The 31-year-old Robertson has been a UFC Veteran since her first appearance on The Ultimate Fighter show in 2017. The winner of 5 straight fights, this is her first opportunity to fight for a UFC Championship Belt.

Joining the champions and title contenders at UFC 330 is New Jersey Flyweight Contender Erin Blanchfield. Fighting out of Elmwood Park, the 27-year-old Blanchfield is 8-1 during her time in the UFC.

Currently the number four ranked Women's 125 pound fighter, her only loss coming at the UFC on ESPN Atlantic City Fight Night in 2024. Blanchfield rebounded from that loss with an mpressive win seven months later against former UFC Champion Rose Namajunas.

New Jersey UFC Fighter Erin Blanchfield

At UFC 330 in Philadelphia, she is scheduled to face Jasmine Jasudavicius, who has won six of her last seven fights.