UFC Vegas 107 took place at the Apex on Saturday night, featuring a main event between Maycee Barber and Erin Blanchfield. The days leading up to the May 31st event were marked by a dramatic and chaotic weigh-in, where weight misses and fighter withdrawals became the primary discussion points after a week off for the promotion.
Despite missing the flyweight limit by half a pound, Maycee Barber was cleared to compete in the main event. The weigh-in drama only added fuel to the existing verbal sparring between Barber and her opponent, Erin Blanchfield, which had been building throughout the fight promotion.
Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber trade comments following weigh-in day drama ahead of UFC Vegas 107
Before the fight, Blanchfield publicly questioned whether Barber would successfully make it to the main event. Barber dismissed these comments as “dumb” on The Ariel Helwani Show, explaining that her only past withdrawals were due to significant issues.
Barber, 27, counter-attacked, criticizing Blanchfield`s fighting style as “boring” and “terrible,” despite her opponent`s impressive 7-1 record in the Octagon.
While Barber ultimately made it to the bout, her half-pound weight miss fueled further exchanges. Following their tense face-off, Blanchfield posted a video on her Instagram story, referencing her earlier doubts with the caption, “Who’s the clown now.”
Barber quickly fired back on social media with her own brief reply before the fight: “Still you” following a tense stare down between the two exciting contenders at 125 pounds.
Maycee Barber needs a big performance to really gain momentum after UFC Vegas 107
In the women`s flyweight division, champion Valentina Shevchenko has several potential challengers. Beyond a possible superfight with strawweight queen Zhang Weili, Natalia Silva recently emerged as a strong contender with a notable victory over Alexa Grasso.
For both Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber, a dominant performance at UFC Vegas 107 was crucial to stake their claim for a shot at Shevchenko`s title.
This need for a significant win was amplified for Barber, who aimed to overcome the negative perception from her weight miss and position herself squarely in the title picture.
