Andrade vs Blanchfield Betting Odds Preview: One Week? No Problem

UFC Odds Favor the Late Replacement

February 15, 2023 25 3 minutes readUFC

Andrade vs Blanchfield Betting Odds Preview: One Week? No Problem — Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

Andrade Enters as Slight Favorite in New Main Event
Blanchfield Brings The “Dagestan” to the Division

Andrade Enters as Slight Favorite in New Main Event

Erin Blanchfield was supposed to fight Taila Santos for this UFC Fight Night’s main event. But a VISA issue forced Santos out just one week before the fight. Fortunately, Jessica Andrade swooped in to save the day. The former strawweight champion should win per the Andrade vs Blanchfield betting odds. But typically, late notice replacements do not fare too well though the diminutive destroyer could buck this trend.

UFC Fight Night

Jessica Andrade (24-9-0) vs Erin Blanchfield (10-1-0)

Date & Time: Saturday, 7:00 P.M. ET
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada
Weight Class (Rounds): Flyweight (125 lbs.) (5 Rounds)

How Much More Badass Can Andrade Get?

Jessica Andrade is many things. She is a bruiser, a powerful striker with wins across three divisions, and maybe the best fighter that isn’t a champion. So it’s within her character to take this tough fight on a week’s notice even if it does not really benefit her other than make her the women’s BMF Champion (a symbolic title meant to honor the UFC’s “badass motherf*****”).

Fighters who fight on a week’s notice or shorter are 10-24 in major promotions dating back to January 2022. Sean Strickland was the last UFC fighter to take a fight on very short notice and he defeated Nassourdine Imavov despite the fact.

“I got paid flat money just to go fight,” Strickland said at the post-fight press conference. “It was fun. It was nice. “I got some brain damage this fight. It feels good to get hit in the head. I feel like I earned my f**ing paycheck this time.

Strickland is referring to the damage he absorbed against Imavov. Even if he only absorbed 123 compared to the 141 he had against Jared Cannonier, when he had a full camp, the middleweight contender feels he could have fought better with more training time. How will Andrade fare in her fight against a top wrestler?

Andrade has only lost to champions. At 125 pounds, she’s only lost to Valentina Shevchenko. Still, Shevchenko abused her on the ground in that fight. The champion took her down seven times and then finished her. But while Shevchenko made it look easy, most UFC fighters get smashed going against Andrade.

At just 5’1″ with a 62-inch reach, Andrade owns several UFC records including the most wins in the UFC with 15. She also has eight finishes and has the rare ability to knock an opponent out with one punch. Her power is the great equalizer. It’s why the Andrade vs Blanchfield betting odds favor her despite the lack of training.

Blanchfield Brings The “Dagestan” to the Division

In the world of mixed martial arts, the nation of Dagestan has become synonymous with “wrestling”. Dagestani fighters like UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev became notorious for mauling their opponents. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired unbeaten and is considered by many the greatest fighter ever. Blanchfield could be that fighter in the division.

The New Yorker is just 23 years old but is already 4-0 in the UFC. Her wins have been one-sided. Against Miranda Maverick, a fellow wrestler, she set a takedown record with seven. Blanchfield lands four takedowns per 15 minutes at a 68 percent rate per the UFC stats. She’ll always have a path to victory regardless of who she fights.

Against Andrade, Blanchfield takes on her toughest opponent. Blanchfield has not fought a fighter who hits as hard as Andrade. But her ace-in-the-hole is her wrestling. She has imposed her wrestling on all of her opponents. It did not matter if they were wrestlers like Maverick or strikers like Molly McCann.

The latter even dared Blanchfield: “I can’t wait to get in there and for her to try and wrestlef*** me.” Of course, Blanchfield needed to land just one takedown and submitted her with a kimura.

Those betting on UFC Fight Night will gladly take Blanchfield at her current price. If she can emulate what Shevchenko did, she’ll cash as the underdog on the Andrade vs Blanchfield betting odds.