The decision for Maycee Barber not to compete this past Saturday might not have been hers alone.
Barber, known as “The Future,” was scheduled to headline UFC Vegas 107 against fellow flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield. However, the bout was canceled at the last minute, announced on air just before she was due to walk out. Specific details of what prevented Barber from fighting remain unclear, although Blanchfield told a reporter that she was informed Barber had a seizure moments before the fight was set to begin.
Following the cancellation, Blanchfield publicly criticized Barber during the post-fight press conference, calling her “a complete mess in every aspect of her entire life.” Barber responded with a statement on Sunday, vowing to resolve her issues and return to competition ready.
On Tuesday, Barber’s coach, Cody Donovan, released a statement via Instagram aimed at absolving Barber of responsibility for the main event cancellation. According to Donovan, the final decision to withdraw Barber from the fight was made by the coaching staff.
Donovan’s comments included:
“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 most of Barber’s colleagues showed understanding, her withdrawal drew heightened attention because Saturday’s event was meant to be her return after a significant layoff of nearly 450 days. Barber had previously pulled out of a scheduled fight against Rose Namajunas in July 2024 due to health issues. This latest cancellation has added further uncertainty regarding the 27-year-old’s future in the sport.
Donovan believes that Barber navigating this adversity will ultimately make her journey to the top even more inspiring.
He stated, “I am proud of the bravery she showed in the face of a medical emergency… When they tell the story of [Barber] this will be the Goliath that she got to overcome on her road to greatness.”
