NEW YORK – Erin Blanchfield got the payback she’d been waiting five years for. On Saturday at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden, Blanchfield (14-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) submitted Tracy Cortez (12-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) via rear-naked choke at 4:44 of Round 2 in their women’s flyweight bout, avenging a razor-thin and heavily debated split-decision loss from their 2019 Invicta FC meeting.
Ground Game Was The Key
As expected, Blanchfield’s clearest edge came on the mat. From the opening bell, she persistently hunted takedowns, chaining attempts and forcing Cortez to fight off the fence and defend level changes rather than freely open up her striking.
Cortez tried to keep things standing and use her boxing, but Blanchfield’s pressure and grappling persistence gradually tilted the fight in her favor.
Late in Round 2, Blanchfield finally broke the dam with a huge takedown that drove Cortez almost the full length of the Octagon canvas. Once it hit the floor, Blanchfield went to work instantly—taking the back, trapping Cortez’s left arm with her legs, and rolling to secure control.
From there, the finish felt inevitable.
Blanchfield slid her arm under the chin, locked in the rear-naked choke, and Cortez was forced to tap with just seconds left in the round.
The victory not only serves as emotional revenge for Blanchfield after the disputed 2019 loss, but it could also carry serious title implications. With the win coming on the same night as the flyweight title fight between champion Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili in the co-main event, Blanchfield may have just moved herself into prime position to challenge the winner.
Blanchfield has now won two straight since her lone UFC defeat, a dominant decision loss to Manon Fiorot in March 2024. Cortez, meanwhile, drops to 1-2 in her last three outings as she regroups in a stacked flyweight division.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
