Maycee Barber explains why she pulled out of UFC Denver main event with Rose Namajunas

Maycee Barber has offered a lengthy explanation as to why she pulled out of her slated main event fight with Rose Namajunas at UFC Denver.

Barber (14-2 MMA) and Namajunas (12-6 MMA) were scheduled to collide on July 13 in the headliner of the UFC Fight Night event at Ball Arena in Colorado.

Unfortunately for fight fans, ‘The Future’ was forced to withdraw from the event early this week. Thankfully, Tracy Cortez agreed to step in on short notice against ‘Thug Rose’, which should be a great scrap.

While the exact reason for Maycee Barber’s withdrawal was not made public at the time of her removal, the 26-year-old took to Instagram earlier this evening to offer fans the following explanation:

 

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“This is the last post I wanted to be making heading into July. Wish I was putting up a post about being 2 weeks out from my first main event. God must have other plans in store for the future 🤍 Unfortunately,As a lot of you may know, I was hospitalized for many days following my last fight. I spent 9 days in the hospital less than 2 months ago. Doctors at the time couldn’t find exactly what was going on, and I ended up also I developing pneumonia during that time. I was put on numerous rounds of oral and IV antibiotics, which absolutely wrecked my system. When I accepted this fight I was told that I would be okay by the time July came around and so after a few weeks eased back to training and into a camp, as I got deeper into camp I just couldn’t find any intensity needed to get ready for a 5-round fight let alone the first 5 minutes of a practice. I wanted so badly to be able to go out there and perform in front of my home, family and friends. Especially against such a high level opponent in Rose. Although I tried to keep pushing through, my team recognized that I’m not just not physically even close to where I need to be to safely enter a fight let alone into a single training session without putting myself at risk for lifelong damage. I needed to find answers as to why my body is seemingly turning against me. I sought out a team of medical professionals who, alongside the UFC, have run extensive tests on my blood and urine and sinus microbiome and my gut and my hormones and there are many things physically not working properly in my body; and they are being exacerbated by an Epstein-barr virus infection that we found. This is causing body aches, headaches, as well as extreme fatigue and an inability to recover between training sessions. I keep trying to push through the fatigue, but every time I would I do so, I would get symptoms that were consistent with these lab findings.”

Maycee Baber continued:

“The more we are digging into my physiology and immune system, the more apparent it becomes that not only did the numerous rounds of antibiotics I was given after my hospitalization wreck my immune system, but the constant training compounded to get me into a position of essentially feeling always sick and always completely wiped out. After I was informed of the severe risks of my spleen rupturing among other life altering risks I was devastated. We made the decision with my team of coaches, Drs and the UFC that my physical health must be attended to now so that I can make a run in the future. 🤍✨”

Maycee Barber most recently fought and defeated former UFC title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299 back in March. That victory marked ‘The Future’s’ sixth in a row inside of the Octagon.

Who would you like to see Barber matched up against next when she is healthy and ready to return?