Jessica Andrade replaces Taila Santos, will face Erin Blanchfield at UFC Vegas 69
Just seven days away from the event, next weekend’s UFC Vegas 69 main event has a big change. Announced during the UFC 284 broadcast, former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade will step in to replace Taila Santos and face Erin Blanchfield in the main event. According to Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, Santos decided to withdraw from the event after both of her cornermen, one being her husband, were denied visas multiple times.
Taila Santos decided to withdraw from the fight after both cornermen (one being her husband) had visas denied multiple times, I'm told. https://t.co/R8X67ujJGD
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) February 11, 2023
It will be a quick turnaround for Jessica Andrade who most recently competed at UFC 283 last month and picked up a dominant decision victory over Lauren Murphy for her second-straight victory in the flyweight division. The win for Andrade was her overall third straight after she came up short in a flyweight title fight against reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 261 last April.
The change in opponent also represents a great opportunity for Erin Blanchfield, who will get to face not only a former champion in her first UFC main event slot, but also the third-ranked contender in the flyweight division. Having started her tenure with the UFC undefeated with four straight wins, and two finishes in her last two fights, Blanchfield can catapult herself into a contender position if she is victorious over Jessica Andrade.
In her last three fights, Blanchfield has picked up wins over Miranda Maverick, JJ Aldrich, and most recently, Molly McCann. Overall she has a 10-1 record in her career and is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak.
Here is the current UFC Vegas 69 fight card with the change in the main event.
Jessica Andrade vs. Erin Blanchfield – 125 lbs
Zac Pauga vs. Jordan Wright – 205 lbs
William Knight vs. Marcin Prachnio – 205 lbs
Josh Parisian vs. Jamal Pogues – 265 lbs
Jim Miller vs. Alexander Hernandez – 155 lbs
Nazim Sadykhov vs. Evan Elder – 155 lbs
J. Ronderos vs. Clayton Carpenter – 125 lbs
Lina Länsberg vs. Mayra Bueno Silva – 135 lbs
Ovince St. Preux vs. Philipe Lins – 205 lbs
AJ Fletcher vs. Themba Gorimbo – 170 lbs
Jamall Emmers vs. Khusein Askhabov – 145 lbs
