Andrade v Blanchfield brings a women’s flyweight bout to the headliner event for UFC Fight Night 219 on Saturday, Feb. 18. Legal Canadian and US sportsbooks have moneylines up on the fight, giving the third-ranked Brazilian a strong preference.
Whether the No. 10 fighter from the United States can pull off the upset is somewhat of an unknown as this will be Blanchfield’s first main event appearance in the UFC. Further casting intrigue is that Andrade represents a replacement opponent.
Andrade v Blanchfield changes up UFC Fight Night 219
According to Nolan King of MMA Junkie, Taila Santos pulled out of this bout “due to ‘personal issues.'” Unconfirmed reports state that Santos’ cornermen were unable to obtain visas for the event in Las Vegas.
The main card for Saturday’s action starts at 7 p.m. ET and fans can stream it live on ESPN+. This will be Blanchfield’s fifth UFC career bout and she comes in with a young but sparkling 4-0 record in the UFC.
This will be the first meeting of these two fighters. Andrade last competed at UFC 283 on Jan. 21 when she got a unanimous decision over Lauren Murphy in her native country. Andrade has won four of her last five fights.
Blanchfield’s last appearance was UFC 281 on Nov. 12, 2022, when she forced Molly McCann to submit. Sportsbooks prefer the fighter with greater experience in this contest.
The lines on Andrade v Blanchfield
As of 9 a.m. ET on Monday, four major legal sportsbooks have moneyline odds up on this bout.
| Sportsbook | Andrade to win | Blanchfield to win |
|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | -200 | +160 |
| BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse | -182 | +143 |
| Caesars | -180 | +155 |
| DraftKings | -180 | +155 |
Betting opportunities on props might be more attractive when you consider the particulars of this matchup.
Handicapping Andrade v Blanchfield
Here are the particulars of how these fighters match up against each other.
- Blanchfield is eight years younger than Andrade
- Blanchfield is three inches taller than Andrade and has a six-inch reach advantage
- Andrade has 22 more fights and 40 more rounds under her belt than Blanchfield
- Andrade’s submission rate of 33% edges out Blanchfield’s at 30%
- Andrade’s knock out rate of 38% is super to Blanchfield’s 20%
While the statistics make clear why Andrade is the favorite, Blanchfield seems to stand a good chance to force a decision. Blanchfield has shown great potential as a wrestler and the agility to avoid Andrade’s most devastating blows on her feet.
Round props and method of victory wagers could prove fruitful for this bout. If Blanchfield can continue her meteoric rise by taking Andrade down, she could make bettors who took a flier on her quite happy Saturday night.
