Blanchfield Submits Cortez in Round 2 at UFC 322

Erin Blanchfield avenged a controversial loss from six years ago by submitting Tracy Cortez in the second round of their women's flyweight bout at UFC 322 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Blanchfield, ranked fourth in the division, secured a rear-naked choke at 4:44 of the round, marking the first time Cortez had been finished in her UFC career. The 26-year-old wrestler dominated on the ground after a competitive first round of striking exchanges, taking Cortez down late in the second and transitioning to the back for the tap. Cortez, the eighth-ranked contender and a fan favorite known for her striking and resilience, absorbed heavy shots early, including a combination that opened a cut above her eye. By the fight's end, the 31-year-old Arizona native was bloodied with visible swelling around her right eye and cuts across her face as she crouched on the canvas.

The victory extends Blanchfield's winning streak to two, following a unanimous decision over former champion Rose Namajunas last November. It also rights a wrong from 2019, when Cortez edged her out by split decision in Invicta FC in a bout many observers believed Blanchfield had won. That result...