Maycee Barber`s planned appearance in the Octagon last Saturday appears to have been thwarted by her team, not by her own choice.
“The Future” was slated to headline UFC Vegas 107 in a flyweight clash against Erin Blanchfield. However, the fight was dramatically called off moments before showtime. While official details remain scarce, reports, including information Blanchfield stated she received, suggested Barber might have experienced a seizure just before her walkout.
Blanchfield publicly voiced her displeasure about the cancellation, telling reporters post-fight that she considered Barber “a complete mess in every aspect.” Barber later released a statement of her own, acknowledging her issues and promising to work with her team to resolve them and get back to competing.
Adding another layer to the situation on Tuesday, Barber`s coach, Cody Donovan, issued a statement via social media. Donovan took responsibility for the cancellation, clarifying that it was the coaching staff who made the final decision to withdraw Barber from the bout.
Donovan`s comments emphasize Barber`s determination despite her condition:
“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.”
This withdrawal drew particular scrutiny because the fight was meant to be Barber`s return after a lengthy 450-day layoff. She had previously withdrawn from a July 2024 fight against Rose Namajunas due to health issues, raising further questions about the 27-year-old`s fighting future.
Despite the setback, Coach Donovan expressed a positive outlook, suggesting that overcoming this adversity will make Barber`s eventual ascent in the sport even more inspiring.
He commended her resolve during the incident, stating:
“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.”
Providing a concluding thought, writer Lee remarked that regardless of the specific medical issue, the decision to pull Barber was correct. It was clear she was not in a condition to compete, and allowing her to fight under those circumstances would have been wrong.
