4 biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 219: Erin Blanchfield poised to become youngest female champ

Ovince Saint Preux suffered the fastest loss of his MMA career when fellow veteran Philipe Lins ran through him in just 49 seconds, raising questions about what the future could hold for the former interim light heavyweight title challenger.

Although he’s been stopped by strikes five times during his tenure in the sport, Saint Preux (26-17 MMA, 14-12 UFC) had never been punched out inside the opening round before – and that includes against names like Jon Jones, Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader and “Shogun” Rua. It was the quickest of his 17 overall defeats, too, and that’s not a promising sign for “OSP.”

With his 40th birthday just weeks away, perhaps this was a sign that the end could be near for Saint Preux. At least at this level. Lins is not a bad opponent by any stretch, but this is a fight Saint Preux would’ve done much better in at a different stage in his career. He’s the only one that can truly judge what this result meant, but it’s fair to say it should serve as a reevaluation point for his path going forward.

Alexander Hernandez rolled the dice by stepping in to fight Jim Miller on short notice in the main card opener, and after going through three hard rounds and surviving a late scare, he got the job done for a unanimous decision win.

It seems like a lifetime ago that Hernandez (14-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) stormed the UFC scene with a shocking 42-second knockout of current lightweight title contender Beneil Dariush at UFC 222 in March 2018. It set expectations at an almost unrealistic level, and thus far, he’s come nowhere close to meeting them.

In fact, an argument could be made Hernandez was fighting for his spot on the roster against Miller, which was a daunting situation. He stepped in as a replacement on just over one weeks’ notice, and managed to outgun the man with the most victories in UFC history.

The performance wasn’t one that dramatically changes the outlook on Hernandez’s career. It’s a good win for his resume and brings his UFC record above the .500 mark, but at minimum it served as a confidence-booster. If Hernandez is going to do anything more than exist as a middling name in the lightweight or featherweight division, this is the building block to start that run.

If you’re looking for a dose of Jessica Andrade criticism after her main event loss, this isn’t the right place to find it. Only credit here for the Brazilian, who stepped up on less than one weeks’ notice to take in a highly touted prospect.

The decision by Andrade (24-10 MMA, 15-8 UFC) and her team to accepted the role of replacement for Taila Santos, who withdrew after her cornermen were denied a visa, was a risky one. But that’s why we love her. Andrade has the most octagon appearances in women’s UFC history, and is the only female to earn UFC victories in three divisions because of that mindset. She’s a fighter is the truest sense, and while commendable, it’s also a double-edged sword.

She felt the negative end of that this time around, struggling to overcome a size discrepancy that highlighted the fact Andrade likely has a ceiling in the women’s flyweight division. She’s fought at this weight multiple times before, and even got herself a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko. However, it’s a steeper climb against the very best compared to strawweight, where she was once UFC champion.

It would probably be in Andrade’s best interest going forward to stick to one division, and 115 pounds offers a far more equal playing field.

For whatever might be said above about Andrade’s lack of preparation for this main event spot, and physical disadvantages to deal with the opponent standing across from her, there’s no denying the biggest takeaway from the card: Erin Blanchfield is the truth.

A sizable portion of MMA pundits, including yours truly, thought the 23-year-old prospect was biting off more than she could chew with a dangerous foe like Andrade. Not only did she prove that wasn’t true, but Blanchfield (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) showed that she is no longer a prospect, but rather a legit title contender.

Blanchfield showed some vastly improved striking and a fearlessness to exchange with Andrade on the feet that came as a surprise to many. She won the gun fight when it was standing, then when she saw an opening to the grappling, pounced on Andrade’s neck like a lion attacking its prey.

It was a statement performance, to say the least, and it’s clear Blanchfield is ready for the top level. Is she the one to dethrone Shevchenko, assuming “The Bullet” gets past Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 on March 4? Maybe. Maybe not. It’s hard to know.

What does seem likely, however, is that Blanchfield has the tools to be more competitive than the majority of the people who have previously challenged Shevchenko, and for a dominant titleholder, that’s all you can hope for when a fresh face emerges.

There has never been a women’s UFC champion who is 24 or youngest, and Blanchfield might very well be the one to put herself in the history books and force a changing in the guard in a weight class where captivating storylines are desperately needed.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 219.