Blanchard had last contact with a friend on Wednesday last week, but on Friday her car was found damaged and abandoned in Auburn, Alabama, and since then the 19-year-old has disappeared. According to evidence from the car, Blanchard should also have been injured, Auburn police say without going into further details.

According to Blanchard's mother, Angela Haley-Harris, earlier this Wednesday she would meet a young man with whom she had just become acquainted.

Her father - MMA star Walt Harris, who is ranked 10th in the world among the contenders for the UFC heavyweight belt - has come out and pleaded for help in an emotional video clip on social media. Several of the heaviest names in the industry have spread the information in the hope of being able to help.

According to a statement from Auburn police, several police agencies, including the FBI, are involved in the search for Blanchard. Neither her phone nor credit card has been used since 23.57 on Wednesday last week.

The governor of Alabama has promised a $ 5000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest in the case. UFC President Dana White has in turn pledged $ 25,000.

Walt Harris, known as "The Big Ticket", became MMA pros in 2011 and has gone 21 matches, 13 of them in the world's largest MMA organization, the UFC.