Within the high-stakes world of girls’s flyweight MMA, the place grappling wizards and hanging phenoms collide in a 125-pound chess match, few bouts carry the load of historical past like a rematch.
Enter UFC 322 on November 15, 2025, at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis, the place No. 4-ranked “Chilly Blooded” Erin Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will sq. off towards No. 8-ranked Tracy Cortez (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in a three-round prelims showdown that feels something however preliminary. Six years after their controversial first encounter in Invicta FC, these two will lastly settle the rating underneath the intense lights of the UFC’s most iconic venue—affectionately generally known as “The Mecca” of fight sports activities.
This isn’t only a battle; it’s redemption, revenge, and a pivotal step towards title competition in a division dominated by champion Valentina Shevchenko. With Blanchfield eyeing a shot on the belt after a string of elite wins and Cortez determined to show her wrestling pedigree interprets to gold, the stakes couldn’t be greater.
Because the UFC gears up for a blockbuster principal occasion that includes welterweight king Jack Della Maddalena defending towards Islam Makhachev, this flyweight rematch threatens to steal the present on the undercard.
Their paths first crossed on February 15, 2019, at Invicta FC 34: Porto vs. Gonzalez. Again then, a 19-year-old Blanchfield, contemporary off her beginner success and early professional wins, confronted a battle-tested Cortez in a flyweight conflict that went the space. Judges handed Cortez a cut up resolution victory, however the MMA neighborhood erupted in debate. Many scored it for Blanchfield, citing her superior grappling management and aggression, whereas others praised Cortez’s relentless stress and takedown protection. It was the form of razor-close battle that begged for a do-over—and now, six years later, the UFC has delivered.
Types Make Fights: Grappling vs. Grinding
This UFC 322 rematch pits Blanchfield’s fluid, submission-hunting jiu-jitsu towards Cortez’s pressure-heavy wrestling in a stylistic symphony of takedowns and transitions. Their 2019 bout noticed 12 mixed takedown makes an attempt, with Blanchfield edging prime time however Cortez stuffing sufficient to sway judges. Quick-forward: Blanchfield has developed right into a extra affected person chain-wrestler, chaining subs off her again like towards Andrade, whereas Cortez has sharpened her hanging output (up 15% since 2022) to maintain fights upright.
Odds favor Erin Blanchfield at -200, with Tracy Cortez because the +170 underdog, reflecting her youth, momentum, and home-state proximity (New Jersey vs. Arizona). However don’t sleep on Cortez’s cardio and clinch elbows—her path to upset lies in early stress, avoiding Blanchfield’s back-take traps. For “Chilly Blooded,” it’s about dragging it to the mat and looking that armbar or RNC. Count on a 15-minute warfare of attrition, with the Backyard’s roar amplifying each scramble.
Why It Issues: A Flyweight Title Shot on the Line?
UFC 322’s prelims slot belies this battle’s significance. A Blanchfield win cements her as the following challenger, doubtlessly going through the Weili Zhang – Valentina Shevchenko winner in early 2026. Cortez, in the meantime, wants this to rebound from inactivity and silence doubters who’ve questioned her ceiling post-Namajunas loss. As one Reddit MMA thread put it: “Blanchfield’s acquired the instruments, however Cortez’s wrestling is so dominant 😱.”
Tune in Saturday at 6 p.m. ET for early prelims on ESPN+, 8 p.m. for featured prelims, and 10 p.m. for the PPV principal card. In an evening of title defenses and super-fights, Blanchfield vs. Cortez II would possibly simply be the bout that reminds us why we fell in love with MMA: Unfinished enterprise, uncooked expertise, and the candy science of revenge. Who walks out with their hand raised? Solely The Mecca is aware of.
