Maycee Barber was pleased with her UFC 276 win over Jessica Eye.
Barber stepped up on short notice to take the fight against Eye after beating Montana De La Rosa by decision. However, she entered the De La Rosa fight, and subsequently the fight after with Eye dealing with a rib injury. Although she entered the fight with some issues, Maycee says she came out of her UFC 276 fight against Eye relatively healthy.
“I feel great, I felt really good in there and I came out healthy,” Barber said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I’ve been dealing with a rib issue, since before my fight with Montana, so I had like three different injections just to make it through camp. Finally coming out of the fight, I can’t tell if my rib is hurt ot not because I had a cortisone injection so I can’t feel it. Other than that, I feel great and am healthy, it was a good win and I’m happy with it.”
Against Eye, Barber wanted to get the finish and believed she could. Yet, the fight played out differently than she thought due to the fact she didn’t expect Eye to try and clinch her the entire time.
“The only thing that surprised me was I felt like she was really just trying to hold onto me. In most of her fights she went out there and fought but this time it felt like she was just trying to hold on and she always wanted to clinch me and not fight,” Barber explained. “At the same time, I wanted a knockout, I wanted a finish and it is hard to finish a girl when she is just holding onto you.”
Even though Maycee Barber was surprised by Jessica Eye’s game plan, she still clearly got her hand raised at UFC 276. After the win, she also said she fought out her contract but that was more of a coincidence than something done on purpose.
Barber also says the UFC has reached out to set up a meeting to re-sign her to a new multi-fight deal.
“It was more of a coincidence that I had such a quick turnaround. I fought the Saturday and then got the Eye fight on Sunday. It was either negotiating a new contract or getting a fight, and I feel like that is part of it,” Barber said. “Another part was I was really confident so I wasn’t at all worried if I lose so negotiating a new contract when I knew I was going to get a win so it didn’t scare me at all and I’m really excited to sit down and get a new contract with the UFC.”
Once Barber re-signs and heals up her rib, the hope is to fight one more time this year, in front of fans, and eyes Andrea Lee next time out. ‘KGB’ is ranked one spot ahead of her and Barber likes the matchup as it’s another veteran to test herself out against.
“Obviously I want to climb the rankings and the fight that really looks appealing to me is the fight with KGB (Andrea Lee). Mainly because she is number nine and I’m number 10 and it’s a great fight for me,” Barber concluded. “It’s the next spot and I don’t want to fight backward. Then someday, I want the fight back with Alexa (Grasso). I know Andrea has fought a lot of girls I’ve fought and she’s a name that has been around a while.”
Would you like to see Maycee Barber vs. Andrea Lee next?