Maycee Barber defends split decision win over Miranda Maverick at UFC on ESPN 27

Danny Segura and Ken Hathaway
·2 min read
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LAS VEGAS – Maycee Barber thinks the result speaks for itself.

The women’s flyweight prospect is confident she was the rightful winner against Miranda Maverick on the main card of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 27. Barber (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) beat Maverick (9-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with a split decision. She took a pair of 29-28 scores from two of the three judges.

There was controversy online. Many thought Maverick had done enough to deserve the nod from the judges. But Barber discarded the online discord and is confident she won the fight.

“I won that fight and I got my hand raised,” Barber told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 27 post-fight news conference. “I don’t read Twitter. I don’t read comments. I don’t pay attention to any of that.

“I did what I needed to do, the judges did what they needed to do, and I got my hand raised. That’s pretty much all there is to it. I’m confident I won that fight and I feel like I won in the spots that matter – the little details. I’m ready to go back and train and get a finish next time.”

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Barber entered UFC on ESPN 27 with back-to-back losses to Alexa Grasso and Roxanne Modafferi. They were the first two defeats of her professional career.

Barber didn’t think she was in desperation mode for the fight against Maverick. She said she enjoys the pressure and plans on keeping it moving forward.

“I didn’t feel like I had my back against the wall and I don’t feel like I had pressure lifted off my shoulders,” Barber said. “I want that pressure. The pressure, anticipation and nerves that I put on myself is not bad energy. It’s an expectation for myself, and I want to keep those expectations. So no – no pressure lifted off my shoulders. It’s on there because I want the belt. So let’s keep it on there until I get to the title.”