Erin Blanchfield has moved past her initial anger directed at Maycee Barber following the abrupt cancellation of their fight but stands by her frustration in the moment. The bout, scheduled for this past Saturday at UFC Vegas 107, was called off mere seconds before Blanchfield was due to make her walk to the octagon after Barber reportedly suffered a medical emergency backstage.
Immediately after receiving the news from UFC official Hunter Campbell, a visibly upset Blanchfield made strong remarks about Barber`s life outside the cage. While Barber later expressed disagreement with those comments while apologizing for the cancellation, Blanchfield maintains she doesn`t regret her reaction given the chaotic circumstances.
“I don’t wish her any illness. We’ve had our back and forth but it’s purely about fighting,” Blanchfield stated. “I was just upset. As someone that loves competing, I’ve been competing as a kid, I want to do that so when I got that close and couldn’t do it, it’s just so disappointing. It almost feels defeating in a sense.” She added that while the immediate aftermath, including media obligations, was intense, her anger felt justified at the time. “Now it’s been a couple of days, she’s apologized and it’s whatever. I would like to move on from that fight and get something else going.”
Blanchfield described the moment she learned the fight was off as surreal, expressing disbelief even when told to remove her gloves. The cancellation left her with a significant amount of pent-up energy and emotions. “You’re just left with all this pent up energy and emotions and ready to go and then it all just has nowhere to go,” she explained. Leaving the arena without the release of competition felt “pretty weird.”
Notably, weeks before the scheduled fight, Blanchfield had voiced concerns about booking the matchup with Barber due to a previous cancellation and a long layoff Barber had faced stemming from a mysterious medical condition. Barber had dismissed Blanchfield`s earlier comments as “ignorant.” Despite the unexpected timing of this latest withdrawal, Blanchfield acknowledged her prior worries seemed to have some basis.
The UFC did ensure Blanchfield was compensated, paying her both her show and win money. She also received a portion of Barber`s purse because Barber had missed weight the day before the event. While grateful for the payment, Blanchfield reiterated that her main goal was to compete and prove herself in the division, an opportunity she will now have to wait for.
Given the dramatic events leading up to the cancellation, a future fight between the two would undoubtedly generate significant interest. However, Blanchfield has no plans to revisit the matchup. Citing this as the second fight cancellation involving Barber, Blanchfield feels Barber`s issues with consistency and reliability are something she wants to avoid as she moves forward in her career. While she hopes Barber resolves any health issues, Blanchfield is focused on securing a different opponent and continuing her path in the division.
