On Saturday, the decision of whether or not Maycee Barber would fight appears to have been made for her.
“The Future” was set to headline UFC Vegas 107 against fellow flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield. However, the fight was abruptly canceled just before it was due to start, with a broadcast announcement stating Barber was unable to proceed to the octagon. The exact reasons for Barber`s withdrawal remain unclear, although Blanchfield informed reporter Megan Olivi she was told Barber experienced a seizure shortly before the scheduled fight time.
Blanchfield later criticized Barber`s decision to pull out, stating at the post-fight press conference that Barber is “a complete mess in every aspect of her entire life.” Barber responded with a statement on Sunday, pledging that she and her team would address her problems and ensure she was ready to compete again.
On Tuesday, Barber`s coach, Cody Donovan, posted a statement on Instagram clearing Barber of blame for the canceled main event. Donovan stated that the coaching staff made the ultimate decision to withdraw Barber from the fight.
In his statement, Donovan commented:
For the record, Maycee did not pull out of her fight. She refused to surrender in spite of what was happening to her medically. As a coaching staff, we decided to call the doctor in. Even as she begged us not to. What we saw was just too dangerous.
While many of Barber`s fellow fighters expressed sympathy, her withdrawal received increased scrutiny because the Saturday bout was meant to be her return after an absence of almost 450 days. Barber had previously withdrawn from a scheduled July 2024 fight against Rose Namajunas due to health problems, adding to concerns about the 27-year-old`s future in the sport after pulling out of the Blanchfield fight.
Donovan believes that Barber overcoming this adversity will only make her eventual ascent to the top even more inspiring.
I am proud of the bravery she showed in the face of a medical emergency. Most fighters would have run for the door. When they tell the story of Maycee Barber, this will be the Goliath that she got to overcome on her road to greatness. God is good.
Commenting on the situation, a writer named Lee expressed relief that a decision was made to prevent Barber from fighting. Lee stated that regardless of whether the issue was physical, mental, or both, Barber was clearly unfit to compete that evening, and allowing her to fight under those conditions would have been incorrect.
