Barber: ‘Boring’ Blanchield ‘Fought My Leftovers’
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Maycee Barber and Erin Blanchfield feel destined to fight at some point.
The women’s Flyweight division in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has had a lot of movement in recent months and will continue to at UFC Atlantic City this weekend (Sat., March 30, 2024). Two of the division’s brightest young stars, Barber and Blanchfield, are closer than ever to title fights but have yet to collide inside the Octagon.
Barber (14-2) extended her winning streak to six with a unanimous decision over Katlyn Cerminara (formerly Chookagian) at UFC 299 earlier this month (March 9, 2024). Blanchfield, on the other hand, will headline UFC Atlantic City opposite France’s Manon Fiorot. However, “Cold Blooded” recently reflected on her would-be match up with Barber, and isn’t fond of “The Future’s” outspoken nature.
“I was matched up to fight her, she pulled out of that fight,” Blanchfield told MMA Fighting. “I believe I heard Manon said [Barber] didn’t want to fight her either. They were supposed to be matched up and [Barber] said no.
“She talks a lot for somebody who’s scared of fighting people at the very top,” she continued. “I don’t really care much for her opinion. If you’re too scared to fight people at this level, people that are at the top of their game, you shouldn’t be talking.”
Blanchfield, 24, went on to bash Barber for her expectations of jumping the line to get a title shot against the winner of the champion, Alexa Grasso, vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Blanchfield (12-1) and Barber are currently ranked at No. 2 and 4, respectively, in the official UFC rankings.
“She’s a little pathetic for how she talks for somebody who’s not willing to fight people at the highest level that are really at the top of their game,” Blanchfield said.
“She’s talking about filling in spots for Alexa or Valentina. I win this fight against Manon, that’s my spot to fill,” she concluded.
Grasso vs. Shevchenko 3 isn’t official yet, as the pair are in the middle of coaching The Ultimate Fighter 32 (TUF). It’s expected that the fight will be made for UFC 306 inside the Las Vegas Sphere on Sept. 14, 2024. Therefore, a title shot for the winner of Blanchfield vs. Fiorot might not be feasible until early 2025. If offered a back up role for the trilogy title tilt, Blanchfield noted she’d take the opportunity.
Barber didn’t hold back in response to her fellow Flyweight contender. The 25-year-old “set the record straight” by clarifying that her pullout from her previous Blanchfield match up came as a result of a torn ankle, which led the promotion to rebook her initial fight against Montana De La Rosa in April 2022.
“Erin fought my leftovers,” Barber told James Lynch. “Erin fought JJ Aldrich after I beat her. Erin fought Miranda Maverick after I beat her. Erin’s fighting the leftovers, and she’s fighting girls after I already changed them.
“JJ Aldrich, after I beat her, was never the same fighter that she was ever again,” she continued. “She was always shy of getting hit after I hit her. Erin doesn’t have the power that I have, and so for her to say that, I think it’s just completely ignorant and uneducated. I think she’s just trying to create the storyline and the drama.”
Barber’s second victory in UFC came over TUF 23 alum, Aldrich, when she scored a second round technical knockout in March 2019. Aldrich went 4-1 while on arguably the best run of her 19-fight career (13-6) after the loss before running into Blanchfield in June 2022. Aldrich lost the Blanchfield encounter via a second round guillotine (watch highlights) before a unanimous decision loss to Ariane Lipski. She’s since gotten on a winning streak with triumphs over Liang Na and De La Rosa.
As for Baber vs. Maverick, well, that was simply one of the biggest robberies of the last decade.
Ultimately, Barber doesn't have much interest in facing the winner of Blanchfield vs. Fiorot after her Cerminara win. She wants redemption for her last loss, a unanimous decision against the champion, Grasso, in February 2021.
“I think they’re boring, and I don’t think they have the draw and that anyone would care to see that,” Barber said of Blanchfield and Fiorot. “I know that I’m a better contender for the title, and that’s why I keep pushing for my rematch [with Grasso].”
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Atlantic City fight card right here, starting with the ESPN2/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET.
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