Barber details medical emergency that nixed fight

UFC flyweight Maycee Barber was astir 30 minutes from walking to the Octagon connected Saturday, earlier a "medical emergency" yet pulled her from the bout.

Barber (14-2) was scheduled to look Erin Blanchfield (13-2) successful the main lawsuit of UFC Fight Night astatine the Apex. The No. 4-ranked flyweight told ESPN connected Tuesday that a aesculapian complication successful her locker country during warmups led commissioners to cancel the 125-pound contest.

Due to the timing of the exigency and the process of pulling Barber, the authoritative cancellation of the bout didn't hap until aft the UFC had already tally a video bundle and fans were expecting Barber's walkout music. Blanchfield told media members connected Saturday that she was told Barber suffered a seizure. Barber said that is yet to beryllium determined.

"We're not wholly definite [what happened]," Barber told ESPN. "There was an lawsuit that happened successful the backmost erstwhile I was warming up and the doctor, the commissioners, everybody saw it. The commissioners were asking if I was OK. I was saying that I was, and they didn't deliberation that I was.

"It looked similar my autonomic tense strategy mightiness person been having an issue, it looked similar a 'pseudo-seizure,' is what I was told, but I don't person an answer. We request to tally much tests."

Barber, 27, said she felt good Saturday, anterior to the complication. She missed value by 1 half-pound the time earlier the fight, but said it felt similar a mean chopped and determination were nary evident signs of aesculapian issues during oregon aft the cut. She was hospitalized Saturday evening and discharged Monday.

Barber was besides hospitalized successful 2024 for aesculapian issues she has since said physicians inactive don't wholly understand. She is connected a six-fight triumph streak, but hasn't fought since March 2024 and was forced to propulsion retired of a antecedently scheduled combat against Rose Namajunas successful July 2024.

She said the UFC has already been progressive successful connecting her with a assortment of specialists. There is nary timetable for her return, considering the existent contented inactive needs to beryllium identified. Barber said she's grateful to beryllium alive, contempt the evident vexation of the situation.

"I spot radical commenting, 'Oh, I'm gladsome it happened to her and not to idiosyncratic who is relevant,' and I consciousness that's beauteous heartless," Barber said. "I wouldn't privation that connected anybody. I wouldn't privation this situation, this unknown, connected anybody. I've been successful the UFC for 8 years and I've been a nonrecreational my full career. I've ever fixed it everything I've got ... From being a young girl, this has been my dream. It was ne'er portion of my imagination to get determination to combat nighttime and not locomotion out, to disappoint truthful galore radical and myself, it's tough."