Erin Blanchfield has a new opponent for her first UFC main event.
Rather than Taila Santos as originally expected, Blanchfield (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) now faces Jessica Andrade (24-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in the five-round UFC Fight Night 219 headliner, the promotion announced Saturday. The event takes place Feb. 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
The UFC said the change was due to “personal issues” with Santos. A source with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie the reason for Santos’ withdrawal was her cornermen had their visas denied.
Andrade, 31, most recently competed Jan. 21 at UFC 283 when she dominated fellow former UFC title challenger Lauren Murphy en route to a unanimous decision victory. The win extended her winning streak to three, which also contains victories over Amanda Lemos and Cynthia Calvillo.
Unbeaten in the UFC, Blanchfield has emerged as one of the hottest prospects in the division. The 23-year-old delivered her most impressive performance to date when she dominated and submitted Molly McCann at UFC 281.
With the change, the UFC Fight Night 219 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Jessica Andrade vs. Erin Blanchfield
- Zac Pauga vs. Jordan Wright
- Josh Parisian vs. Jamal Pogues
- William Knight vs. Marcin Prachnio
- Alex Hernandez vs. Jim Miller
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Lina Lansberg
- Khusein Askhabov vs. Jamall Emmers
- Philipe Lins vs. Ovince Saint Preux
- Evan Elder vs. Nazim Sadykhov
- A.J. Fletcher vs. Themba Takura Gorimbo
- Clayton Carpenter vs. Juancamilo Ronderos
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 219.
