Erin Blanchfield Makes Statement, Submits Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 219

Erin Blanchfield’s time may have arrived sooner than expected.

The 23-year-old Elmwood Park, N.J., native earned a signature victory, as she submitted former strawweight queen Jessica Andrade (24-10, 15-8 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 219 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Blanchfield (11-1, 5-0 UFC) locked in a rear-naked choke to force the tapout 1:37 into Round 2. “Cold Blooded” has won five straight fights in the UFC at 125 pounds, tying her for the second-longest active winning streak in the division. Now she has her sights set on capturing flyweight gold.

“Give me the winner of Shevchenko vs. Grasso next,” Blanchfield said. “I’m going to win the title and become UFC champion.”

Blanchfield never appeared out of her depth against Andrade, who replaced original opponent Taila Santos on short notice. The Brazilian blitzed forward with her trademark barrage of power punches, but Blanchfield kept her composure and fired back with hard straight shots of her own in the opening stanza.

Andrade continued her usual heavy-handed approach in Round 2, but Blanchfield was able to turn the tables with a trip takedown. From there, she quickly hopped to side control and took Andrade’s back when “Bate Estaca” attempted to return to her feet. Blanchfield had the choke secured even before she had both hooks in, and at that point, it was academic.

“She hits really hard, but I got that clinch and I could just feel that inside trip was there, so I took it,” Blanchfield said. “I knew she was a good striker. I knew she wasn’t going to want to go to the ground with me, so I I had to deal with that. It was a good experience.”

Pauga Grinds Past Wright

“The Ultimate Fighter 30” finalist Zac Pauga relied on grinding clinch work and close quarters offense to capture a unanimous decision triumph against Jordan Wright in the evening’s light heavyweight co-main event. All three judges submitted scores in favor of Pauga: 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. Wright, (12-5 1 NC, 2-5 UFC), who went the distance for the first time in his professional tenure, has lost four consecutive outings.

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Pauga (5-2, 0-2 UFC) set the tone by forcing Wright into the clinch and holding him against the fence for the majority of the bout’s first 10 minutes. The former Houston Texans player landed the offense of note in close quarters, as he sliced his opponent open with numerous slashing elbows. Wright didn’t find the space he desired until Round 3, but even then, he was unable to gain a discernable advantage in the striking exchanges that ensued.

Pogues Outduels Parisian

Takedowns and control carried Jamal Pogues to a hard-fought win over Josh Parisian in a heavyweight matchup of Dana White’s Contender Series veterans. Pogues (10-3, 1-0 UFC) garnered tallies of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 from the cageside judges. The Syndicate MMA product has been victorious in six of his last seven professional outings.

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Pogues scored takedowns in every round while landing quick punching combinations on the feet, but he had to weather a strong push from Parisian over the second half of the fight. Parisian (15-6, 2-3 UFC) kept Pogues on the defensive with forward movement and heavy strikes in close quarters. He ended the contest on Pogues’ back near the fence, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to change the outcome. After the bout, Pogues revealed that he broke his right hand during the bout.

Prachnio Leg Kicks Batter Knight

Marcin Prachnio controlled the range and relied on his kicking game to carry him to a decision victory over a listless William Knight in a light heavyweight clash. All three cageside judges submitted 30-27 tallies in favor of the 34-year-old Pole, who has won three of his last four promotional appearances.

Prachnio (16-6, 3-4 UFC) was rarely threatened as he switched stances, managed distance and attacked with kicks to all levels. His weapon of choice, however, was the low kick, and his attacks to that area had Knight (11-5, 3-4 UFC) grimacing on multiple occasions. Other than catching a couple of kicks, the Thornton Martial Arts member did very little to alter the game plan of his opponent. As a result, Prachnio was content to continue with the same course of action right up until the final horn. All told, Prachnio outlanded Knight by a 63-to-6 count in significant leg strikes.

Hernandez Holds Off Miller

Alexander Hernandez edged a hard-charging Jim Miller, earning a unanimous decision in an entertaining lightweight scrap. The Factory X product received scorecards of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 to halt a two-bout skid. Miller, who owns the record for most UFC appearances, sees a three-fight winning streak snapped in defeat.

Hernandez (14-6, 6-5 UFC) kept Miller (35-17, 24-15 1 NC UFC) off balance thanks to a nice blend of punches, elbows and kicks on the feet — an assault that gradually battered and bloodied the visage of his veteran foe. Miller had his moments, as he briefly rocked Hernandez with a head kick in Round 1 and a left hand in Round 3, but he was often just a step slow in exchanges. The Sparta, N.J., native offered one last threat late in tthe final period when he tripped Hernandez to the canvas, jumped on his back and threatened with a rear-naked choke. However, the angle wasn’t quite there, and Hernandez escaped and ended the fight by dropping heavy ground-and-pound until the horn.



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