REPORT | Maycee Barber withdraws from UFC Denver main event

UFC flyweight contender Maycee Barber has reportedly withdrawn from her first career UFC main event booking.

News of Barber’s canceled UFC Denver appearance was first reported by MMA journalist Alex Behunin.

https://twitter.com/AlexBehunin/status/1805727071248990456

An exact reason for Barber’s UFC Denver withdrawal hasn’t been made public as of this writing.

Barber was slated to face former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas in the July 13th UFC Fight Night main event in Denver. A win over Namajunas could’ve potentially earned Barber a flyweight title shot or a No. 1 contender matchup.

The UFC is looking to find a short-notice replacement to face Namajunas just weeks before the event. As of this writing, the UFC is still planning to keep Namajunas on top of the card.

The fight pull-out is a disappointing setback for Barber after wins in each of her last six UFC fights. She most recently defeated former UFC title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299 back in March.

Maycee Barber withdraws from July 13 UFC headliner

Barber has bounced back nicely since back-to-back losses earlier in her UFC tenure. After defeats to Alexa Grasso and Roxanne Modafferi, she’s defeated the likes of Amanda Ribas and Andrea Lee during her six-fight winning streak.

Namajunas earned her first UFC flyweight win by defeating Ribas by unanimous decision in March. Before that, she lost her UFC flyweight debut to Manon Fiorot in Paris in September.

Maycee Barber earned a spot on the UFC roster via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018. The 26-year-old has blossomed into a star with the second-most knockouts in women’s flyweight history.

The July 13th UFC Fight Night marks the UFC’s return to Denver for the first time since 2018. The card was headlined by a featherweight matchup between The Korean Zombie and Yair Rodríguez.

We’ll update you if/when the UFC announces a replacement to face Namajunas in December. A replacement, if found, is expected to be booked by the end of the week.