Just over six years after suffering the first loss of her professional career, Erin Blanchfield got her revenge on Tracy Cortez at UFC 322. After falling to Cortez back in 2019, Blanchfield was determined to right that wrong and looked focused on putting on an impressive performance on Saturday.
The fight ended in the second round after Blanchfield secured a takedown and advanced to snatch a rear-naked choke. The hold kept tightening until Cortez had no choice but to tap out. The submission victory came at 4:44 of the second round.
“I’m feeling amazing,” Blanchfield said after the win. “I really wanted to redeem this win. I love that I’m fighting on the same card as Valentina [Shevchenko] and [Zhang] Weili. I definitely have my eye super close on that fight.”
The opening round was back-and-forth, with both Blanchfield and Cortez looking to strike and no significant takedown attempts. However, the dynamic shifted in the second round when Cortez dragged the fight to the ground, but Blanchfield quickly reversed the positions.
The grappling battle continued until Blanchfield grabbed Cortez’s legs and executed a powerful takedown. She then quickly saw the opening for the choke. Impressively, Blanchfield had the submission locked up even without wrapping her legs around Cortez, forcing the tap just seconds later.
With this victory, Blanchfield has now secured back-to-back wins in the flyweight division. This streak could very well position her next in line for a title shot, especially with the flyweight championship on the line in the co-main event, where Valentina Shevchenko will face Zhang Weili.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/ufc-322-video-erin-blanchfield-020919850.html
