Erin Blanchfield Becomes First Fighter to Finish Tracy Cortez – UFC 322 Highlights
Erin Blanchfield scored a statement victory over Tracy Cortez at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden.
Despite the ground game being her strong suit, Blanchfield opted to stand and trade with Cortez throughout the first round. That proved to be a mistake for much of the stanza as Cortez seemingly got the best of ‘Cold Blooded’ through the first five minutes. However, Blanchfield turned it on in the final minute, landing a flurry of strikes and cutting open Cortez.
While Blanchfield kept it standing in the second, it was Cortez who initiated the first takedown, successfully getting Blanchfield down to the mat.
Cortez couldn’t keep the position for long, as Blanchfield quickly scrambled her way into the dominant position, forcing Cortez to stand and separate.
With just under two minutes to go in the second, Blanchfield finally shot in for her first takedown, getting Cortez’s back on the mat with ease and immediately fishing for a head and arm choke. Cortez powered up way up, but Blanchfield got her right back down.
This time, Blanchfield immediately took Cortez’s back, cinching in a rear-naked choke and forcing Cortez to tap out for the first time in her mixed martial arts career.
Official Result: Erin Blanchfield def. Tracy Cortez via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:44 of Round 2.
