What Happened to Maycee Barber? UFC Vegas 107 Main Event vs. Erin Blanchfield Cancellation Explained
Injuries are a part of MMA, but when a fighter gets hurt just before an event, they create problems for both the athlete and the promotion. The impact becomes even greater if the fighter headlines the main event. Earlier this year, UFC faced a similar situation at UFC Vegas 107. Rising women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber had to pull out of her bout against Erin Blanchfield due to a “last-minute medical emergency”, leaving her future uncertain.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
At the same time, Barber experienced this kind of setback for the second time, raising concerns that she might face a fate similar to Arman Tsarukyan. This Saturday at UFC 323, she will return to the Octagon to take on the No. 9-ranked contender Karine Silva. Before the two step in to exchange blows, let’s quickly understand what really happened to Barber that got the UFC Vegas 107 canceled.
What’s Maycee Barber’s last-minute emergency that forced her out of UFC Vegas 107?
During UFC 107 fight week, everything initially seemed normal for the event and the fight card. However, uncertainty struck when flyweight Maycee Barber stepped on the scale. She missed weight by around half a pound over the women’s flyweight non-title limit, which prompted Dana White and Co. to move the bout to a catchweight fight and fine ‘The Future’ 20% of her fight purse.
But that was only the beginning. As the two young flyweights prepared to enter the Octagon, the medical team declared Maycee Barber unfit to compete that night, leaving her opponent, Erin Blanchfield, “in disbelief.” The incident marked a significant blemish on Barber’s career.
Later, ‘Cold Blooded’ explained in an interview that UFC executive Hunter Campbell told her Barber had suffered a seizure, which the UFC confirmed a week after the event. Maycee Barber later told ESPN, “It looked like a pseudo-seizure.”
Back in 2021, Barber experienced a similar health issue when she had to cancel her scheduled fight against Erin Blanchfield due to medical reasons. This year, history repeated itself, which led Blanchfield to label Barber as “unprofessional.” In fact, this has bothered her enough not to fix a new fight date with Barber.
“No, my coaches right away were like, ‘Don’t entertain her, she’s not on your level, super unprofessional.’”
Despite the setback at UFC 107, the promotion supported the Greeley-born star and offered their assistance, recognizing that medical challenges have marked Barber’s career.
Dana White & Co. step in to support Maycee Barber after health scare
Maycee Barber has established herself as a formidable force in MMA, but her biggest challenge has always been her health. In the UFC, she has had to withdraw from three fights before facing Erin Blanchfield and also pulled out of her scheduled bout against Rose Namajunas in July 2024, which impacted her career.
In mid-2024, shortly after UFC 299 in March, ‘The Future’ endured a near-death experience due to a combination of pneumonia, sepsis, and a staph infection. A similar situation occurred later at UFC 107. During this challenging time, UFC president Dana White stepped in to support Barber rather than punish her.
When a fan asked her during a recent Instagram interaction, “How about an update on your health and retirement?”
Barber responded, “UFC is sending me to a specialist in Boston….NOT RETIRING.”
Barber has suffered from pneumonia, and when combined with a staph infection, it can be life-threatening. A similar situation recently affected former UFC fighter Ben Askren, who fell into a coma for over a month and suffered both lung failures, ultimately requiring a lung transplant.
Share this with a friend:
