Erin Blanchfield put her name on the short list of women’s flyweight title contenders earlier tonight (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025) at UFC 322, live on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. She became the first fighter to stop Tracy Cortez under the UFC banner with a second-round submission via rear-naked choke.
Blanchfield, who was last seen defeating former UFC champion Rose Namajunas nearly one year ago, had previously lost to Cortez on the regional MMA circuit back in 2019. She was only 19 years old at the time and has clearly improved as a complete fighter since then, but that loss undoubtedly lingered in the back of her mind.
Cortez looked strong in the early going, maintaining her distance and landing some solid strikes. Blanchfield scored some nice shots as well but struggled to implement her grappling effectively in the first round.
Everything changed in Round 2 when Blanchfield secured a takedown in the middle of the cage, earning valuable top control. The fight eventually returned to the feet, but Blanchfield was quick to grab another takedown. This time, as Cortez attempted to stand, Blanchfield snuck in a rear-naked choke.
Cortez appeared close to fighting off the choke, but once Blanchfield transitioned to her back, she locked in the submission and secured the victory—an impressive revenge win over Cortez.
—
### UFC 322 Highlights & Upcoming Fights
Check out the video highlights below and don’t miss a single moment of the action!
**LIVE! Stream UFC 322 on ESPN+**
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on Saturday, November 15, 2025, with a stacked ESPN+-streamed UFC 322 fight card.
In the main event, dominant Russian Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev aims for historic “double-champ” status by challenging Australian knockout specialist and reigning Welterweight kingpin Jack Della Maddalena. This explosive title bout could redefine the 170-pound division.
In the co-headliner, women’s Flyweight queenpin Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko defends her throne against Strawweight powerhouse Zhang Weili, who is moving up for a shot at two-division glory in a “Champion vs. Champion” showdown packed with elite striking and grappling.
All that and so much more! Don’t miss a single second of face-punching action.
—
### Where to Watch
Check the price and stream UFC 322 live on ESPN+ right now!
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/highlights-erin-blanchfield-gets-her-021042911.html