Tomorrow night in the headliner of UFC Vegas 69, we are going to see a pivotal matchup in the women’s flyweight division. Former strawweight champion and flyweight title challenger Jessica Andrade (24-9) will be taking on the top prospect in the flyweight division in Erin Blanchfield (10-1).
Originally, Blanchfield was supposed to face off against Taila Santos tomorrow night. However, due to visa issues with Santos’ corner, she pulled out of the fight and Jessica Andrade was willing to jump right back in there to take this headlining spot.
Jessica Andrade just fought a few weeks ago at UFC 283 in Brazil. That night, she absolutely brutalized and punished Lauren Murphy over the course of fifteen minutes. That brutal performance came on the heels of back-to-back first round finishes.
Erin Blanchfield made her UFC debut back in 2021 and so far she’s been a perfect 4-0. She’s big for the flyweight division and she’s imposed her will on her opponents thus far. In her last fight, she dominated and derailed the Molly McCann hype train at UFC 281.
UFC Vegas 69 Prediction
This is a huge step up in competition for Erin Blanchfield. Thus far in her octagon career, she’s been able to dominate fights with her grappling and really hasn’t had to lean on much else. Yes, we’ve seen her striking and she has good kicks.
However, she’s never faced someone who could out-muscle her in grappling exchanges. Jessica Andrade is one of the strongest women in the UFC. Not too mention she’s also ferocious. She’s going to be in Blanchfield’s face from the opening bell.
To me, this fight is going to come down to a few things. Can Blanchfield get Andrade to the ground? If she can’t does she have the chin to take the shots she’s going to eat on the feet? If the fight goes long, does Andrade have the cardio?
I just can’t pick Erin Blanchfield in this fight. This is not an indictment on what I think her skill level is, I just think this is too much too soon. Especially in the striking exchanges, I’m expecting Andrade to do some damage tomorrow night and earn herself a UFC title shot at flyweight or strawweight.
Prediction: Jessica Andrade by TKO