A surging prospect graduated into being a full-fledged championship threat on Saturday night, as Erin Blanchfield closed things out at the UFC Apex with a lightning quick second-round submission win over Jessica Andrade, closing out an entertaining slate of action inside the octagon in Las Vegas.

Fight of the Night: Nazim Sadykhov vs. Evan Elder

These lightweights seeking their first UFC victories put on a show in the UFC Apex. Nazim Sadykhov and Evan Elder went back-and-forth for two rounds that showcased that both men were determined to leave it all in the octagon. The pace was breakneck. It featured power shots, variety, and was highly competitive.

An early third-round kick from Sadykhov badly cut Elder’s right eyebrow. The cut immediately caught the eye of the referee, prompting Mark Smith to stop the fight on the spot.

It’s an unfortunate defeat for Elder, who was up 2-0 on all three of the judges’ scorecards entering the final round and a strong debut for Sadykhov, who deserves credit for landing the kick that caused the cut.

Performance of the Night: Erin Blanchfield

A true contender has revealed herself.

Blanchfield is the real deal ladies and gentlemen. The New Jersey native handled her first main event – which had a big-time opponent change – in the absolute best way possible.

“Cold Blooded” stood for five minutes with former strawweight champion Andrade for five minutes and proved that she can more than handle herself in the striking game. But in the second, Blanchfield’s bread-and-butter grappling shined through in the second round when she landed a perfect trip.

She immediately passed Andrade’s guard and then waited for Andrade to make a move to her feet. She quickly sunk in the choke followed by the hooks and forced the tap. It was a big moment for Blanchfield, who is no-longer a prospect. She’s ready to compete with the contenders and maybe even the champ at flyweight.

Performance of the Night: Mayra Bueno Silva 

Mayra Bueno Silva continues to excel at bantamweight, as she added another submission win to her record at “UFC Fight Night 219: Andrade vs Blanchfield.”

Bueno Silva’s kneebar submission of Lina Lansberg was impressive and shows just how dangerous she is when the fight gets to the canvas.

That’s three wins in a row for Bueno Silva who has her sights on climbing the ranks and making some big noise in 2023.

This story first published at UFC.com.