Maycee Barber dismisses the notion that she turned down a fight with Erin Blanchfield.
Blanchfield (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) faces Manon Fiorot (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54 (ESPN/ESPN+) headliner at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
Blanchfield told MMA Fighting that “pathetic” Barber previously turned down a fight with her. Blanchfield’s comments came after Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) called her and Fiorot boring.
“Erin fought my leftovers,” Barber told Sportskeeda. “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 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 clarified that after Montana De La Rosa withdrew from their UFC 269 matchup, she accepted Blanchfield as a replacement, but the bout was scrapped after Barber ended up injuring herself.
Barber, who’s on a six-fight winning streak, is not interested in facing the winner of Blanchfield and Fiorot. She’d rather wait for the winner of the flyweight title-fight trilogy between champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, which will happen after they’re done coaching Season 32 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“I think they’re boring, and I don’t think they have the draw, and I don’t think anyone cares to see that,” Barber said on Blanchfield and Fiorot. “I know that I’m a better contender for the title, and that’s why I keep pushing for my rematch (vs. Grasso).”
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