After getting picked apart on the feet by Tracy Cortez’s boxing skills for nearly two rounds, women’s flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield finally shifted to her A-game of wrestling on Saturday.
It didn’t take long after that until the fight was over.
Blanchfield (14-2) took a huge step closer toward a possible 125-pound title shot by submitting Cortez (12-3) via rear-naked choke in Round 2 of their rematch at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden. The finish came at 4:44 as Blanchfield avenged a split-decision loss to Cortez on the regional MMA scene at Invicta FC 34 in 2019.
“I’m really excited,” Blanchfield said. “I really wanted to avenge this [loss].”
Be sure to keep up with all the action on Saturday with our live coverage of UFC 322, including round-by-round scoring and updated fight results throughout the night!
Cortez controlled the opening round with her quick hands and knees to the body in the clinch. But it was a competitive round in which Blanchfield failed to attempt a single takedown.
That eventually changed in Round 2 after a series of even exchanges on the feet that saw both flyweights bleed from the nose. But it was Cortez who ultimately shot first with a successful double-leg takedown that Blanchfield reversed.
Blanchfield’s first shot came shortly after but it was Cortez, thanks to a blatant grab of the fence that referee Blake Grice never saw, that quickly returned to her feet. A visibly frustrated Blanchfield then turned a standing clinch into a running takedown attempt across the cage that ended with her quickly taking the back of Cortez on the ground.
Shortly after Blanchfield applied the choke and fell backwards, Cortez was quick to tap out.
“I actually didn’t think the choke was super tight but I could feel the pressure forced her to tap out,” Blanchfield said.
With the win, Blanchfield improved to 8-1 in the UFC after winning her second straight following a loss to Manon Fiorot in a 2024 No. 1 contender’s bout via unanimous decision.
Cortez, who began her UFC career with five straight wins, accumulated her second loss in her last three fights.
