Maycee Barber says Paige VanZant ‘doesn’t want her face damaged’ as the reason for avoiding fight
Maycee Barber has big goals for herself. She wants to be the youngest person to win a UFC title, a record Jon Jones currently holds. And so far, Barber has backed it up. She is 2-0 in the UFC and ranked 14th in the flyweight division but is eyeing a fight against 15th ranked, Paige VanZant.
‘The Future’ explained to Luke Thomas on the MMA Hour why VanZant would be an ideal next opponent for her to build herself up.
“She doesn’t want to fight me, she doesn’t want to lose,” Barber explained. “She wants to keep building her name and getting wins under her. And this is a fight she could possibly lose — and she knows that. I think that’s why. Also, given my history in fights, I go to finish and I usually cut people up. She also doesn’t want to have her face damaged. Why her? Because she’s already said no and that’s a really good fight, you know? For me, anyway. I know that she doesn’t want to fight me. Last I checked, she was No. 14 in the division of the flyweights. And since we’re both in the flyweight division, I feel like it’s a good fight.”
Although VanZant has fought some of the top fighters in the likes of Michelle Waterson, Rose Namajunas and others, Barber believes she hasn’t fought girls like her. She will pressure VanZant from the get-go and can get a finish on the ground or standing.
“She’s a high-paced fighter, got skills and she’s very athletic. But I’m me and I go to finish. She hasn’t fought a ton of girls that go out to just finish. There’s one thing about being a fighter who is technically good and then there’s someone who has like a malicious intent to finish a fight and I possess that. And there’s only a few girls who possess that. I know that I’m one of them and I feel like Tatiana Suarez is another girl who’s a finisher. She goes out to hurt you. We’re few and far between as fighters who fight like that.”
