Maycee Barber Says She is Just One Win Away from a Title Shot
Maycee Barber believes she’s on the cusp of earning her first title opportunity.
A winner in six straight Octagon appearances, ‘The Future’ will look to make it seven in a row on December 6 when she steps back inside the cage for a high-stakes clash against Karine Silva at UFC 323.
As it stands, Barber is the No. 5 ranked contender in the flyweight division after putting together impressive performances against Andrea Lee, Amanda Ribas, and Katlyn Cerminara. With one more impressive showing, Barber believes there will be no denying her a shot at the 125-pound crown.
“My goal is a belt. With a good finish over this opponent, I think it solidifies my spot,” Barber told MMA Junkie. “If not this fight, then the next one for sure. That’s something I’ve been working toward despite everything — it’s my goal, it’s my dream, and it’s what I’m going to have.”
Maycee Barber is ready to put medical issues behind her
By the time Barber steps inside the Octagon at UFC 323, it will have been 21 months since her last appearance.
She was originally scheduled to face former two-time strawweight queen ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas in the summer of 2024. However, those plans were scrapped after Barber was hospitalized for pneumonia, strep throat, and a staph infection.
Then, in May, Barber was set to square off with Erin Blanchfield in a potential title eliminator when she suffered a “pseudo-seizure” during her pre-fight warmups, resulting in the bout being canceled.
“It has been a wild ride, a rough, what is it, almost 18 months now. I’m finally excited to be able to be back in a [training] camp again and back to having a fight again. I’m just feeling really blessed and really excited,” Barber said. “The UFC sent me to a neurologist, several doctors actually, and we ended up being send to a neurologist in Boston. Although they didn’t have an exact pinpoint answer of, ‘Hey, this is exactly what happened. This is why it happened,’ and all of that. They had a solution.
“I never thought I’d be a person that would be taking medications, but they put me on medication. That was the solution, and I haven’t had any issues since then. My last event that I ever had was I believe like June or July. After all of that I’ve been completely fine and healthy. Got the clearance from the neurologist, and then was cleared to be abler to continue and train and fight and all of that.”
