Erin Blanchfield is quickly gaining recognition as one of the sport’s top prospects. With recognition, comes fans and doubters – and callouts.

At UFC Fight Night 207, Blanchfield (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) obliges the first woman to call her out during her promotional tenure, JJ Aldrich (11-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in a flyweight bout. The two fighters square off in the card-opening bout Saturday at the UFC Apex. While callouts get under some athletes’ skin, Blanchfield embraces the name-drops.

“I’ve only had two fights in the UFC, so it’s kind of quick for a callout,” Blanchfield recently told MMA Junkie. “It’s good, though. It means people are paying attention and people want to fight me and they want to see me fight. I’m excited about it. I love being called out. It kind of keeps your name out there. … I think it’s funny because they think they’re going to beat me. It never really works out for them.”

Aldrich, 29, is currently on one of the most successful streaks of her pro career. At UFC Fight Night 203 in March, Aldrich won her third straight fight and publicly called for a Blanchfield matchup afterward. Blanchfield heard the callout and when the UFC matchmakers called, she welcomed the fight with open arms.

“I was definitely interested in it,” Blanchfield said. “It’s funny because she’s like my fourth lefty in a row. I’ve been fighting a bunch of lefties, so it’s nice to keep that going. It’ll be good to gain experience. JJ has been in the UFC for a long time, so she’s definitely the most experienced person I’ve ever fought. I’m excited to get in there with someone who is more of a vet and get that win over her.”

Blanchfield, 23, turned heads for her two dominant UFC outings to date. First, she dominated former LFA champion Sarah Alpar. Then, she put on a similarly one-sided performance against Miranda Maverick.

The wins generated some buzz and Blanchfield has noticed an uptick in popularity among fans. The high-praise is in line with her self-confidence, but that doesn’t mean she wants to rush anything. It’s one step at a time.

“I’ve kind of always liked (the praise),” Blachfield said. “I expect that out of myself. People are thinking the same things. I just want to prove them right and prove myself right. I kind of like that everybody is kind of getting behind me in that sense. I’m just going to go out there and show I am that person.”

The next step in her career is Aldrich. If all goes according to Blanchfield’s plan, a ranked opponent will be next. After that? It’s tough to say, but Blanchfield doesn’t think it’s unreasonable she’ll work her way to a title shot in the next few years, one way or another.

“As long as I’m getting in there and getting those wins, I know what’s going to happen,” Blanchfield said. “You can’t really plan everything in life. I understand Maycee wanted to be the youngest champion, but that’s an ambitious goal. Putting those timelines (on things) could be unrealistic or just stressful. So I try not to put timelines on myself. I just want to get in there, as long as I’m healthy and can fight, and get those wins. I know that I’ll get there.”

Check out MMA Jukie’s full interview with Blanchfield below: