Jun 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Amanda Ribas (red gloves) fights Maycee Barber (blue gloves) in a women flyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

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What Happened To Maycee Barber? Why Did She Withdraw From The Main Event Against Erin Blanchfield?

Find out the reason behind the last minute withdrawal of Maycee Barber at UFC Vegas 107 against Erin Blanchfield!

Weight cuts in combat sports can be absolutely brutal. Fighters put their bodies through hell to make weight, sometimes cutting 20-30 pounds in just a few weeks. The process involves severe dehydration, salt depletion, and pushing the human body to its absolute limits. For many fighters, it’s the hardest part of their job, harder than actually getting punched in the face. The dangers are real, and sometimes the consequences can be life threatening. Maycee Barber learned this lesson the hard way at UFC Vegas 107.

Barber was supposed to headline against Erin Blanchfield in what many considered a title eliminator fight at flyweight. Both women were ranked in the top five, with the winner likely getting a shot at champion Valentina Shevchenko. The stage was set for a career defining moment for both fighters. Instead, it turned into one of the most dramatic and concerning backstage incidents in recent UFC history.

Maycee Barber Withdraws Minutes Ahead Of UFC Vegas 107 Main Event

Blanchfield later said in a backstage interview with Megan Olivi that UFC executive Hunter Campbell told her that Maycee Barber had suffered a seizure minutes before they were supposed to walk to the octagon. The medical emergency happened backstage, away from cameras. One moment Barber was preparing for the biggest fight of her career, and the next she was dealing with a serious health scare that required immediate medical attention.

Erin Blanchfield (125) vs Maycee Barber (126.5)#UFCVegas107 pic.twitter.com/0q2Bq41Y0Y
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) May 30, 2025

The timing couldn’t have been worse for everyone involved. Blanchfield had already gone through her weight cut, pre-fight routine, warmed up, and was mentally prepared to compete. Suddenly she found herself being told by UFC brass that her opponent couldn’t fight due to a medical emergency. The weight cut issues from the day before now made perfect sense. Barber’s body had been pushed too far, and it finally gave out when it mattered most.

The day before the fight, Barber missed weight by a half-pound and was forced to forfeit 20% of her purse to Blanchfield, which should have been a red flag that something wasn’t right with her cut. She initially weighed in at 127 pounds, a full pound over the flyweight limit. After stripping down completely, she managed to get down to 126.5 pounds, still half a pound heavy. The dehydration and lack of salts in her system from the extreme weight cut likely contributed to the seizure that would end her night before it even began.

Erin Blanchfield Reveals Her Future Plans

Erin Blanchfield was understandably frustrated when she spoke to Megan Olivi after learning about the cancellation. She had trained for months, made weight perfectly, and was ready to compete for what could have been her way to the title shot. Instead, she was left sitting in a locker room while medical personnel attended to her opponent. When asked about potentially rebooking the fight against Maycee Barber in the future, Blanchfield made her feelings crystal clear.

“Pretty crazy, pretty unprofessional, I wouldn’t want to fight her again. I was told she had a seizure in the locker room, I don’t know how or why it was caused but that’s what I was told”

Erin Blanchfield on her main event cancellation with Maycee Barber at #UFCVegas107 pic.twitter.com/t0kUOghCJD
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) June 1, 2025

Her coaches were adamant that they didn’t want to deal with Barber again after what they considered unprofessional behavior. The weight miss, followed by a medical withdrawal that could have been prevented with better preparation, left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Blanchfield stated that she now wanted to fight a contender ranked above her instead of dealing with someone who couldn’t make it to the octagon. Her team felt like their time had been wasted, and they wanted to move on to bigger opportunities.

(Image Credit: David Yeazell – Imagn Images)

Erin Blanchfield

Maycee Barber

Maycee Barber Withdrawal

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!