MIAMI – Maycee Barber is still eager to run things back with UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso.
Barber (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) meets Katlyn Cerminara (18-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) Saturday at UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) from Kaseya Center in Miami.
Currently riding a five-fight winning streak, including a TKO of Amanda Ribas in June, Barber hopes a finish of Cerminara earns her a title shot against Grasso, who’s the most recent woman to beat her.
“Obviously, Alexa still has the belt, so it would be a title eliminator and getting a title shot,” Barber told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday.
“When I finish Katlyn the gatekeeper, for me, that really sets me up. It’s like, ‘All right, fine – she dominantly finished Katlyn, now it’s time to give her a shot.’ And I’m still coming for my rematch.”
Grasso is linked to a rubber match against Valentina Shevchenko. If the UFC does decide to go that direction, Barber doesn’t mind being the reserve for their title fight,
“Even if they do have their trilogy, if they’re scheduled to fight, I’d like to be the backup fighter. That would be great, or whatever we can make work,” Barber said. “There’s injuries, there’s things that pop up, so I’ll be ready.”
Barber is not impressed with Cerminara’s resume. All 11 of former title challenger Cerminara’s octagon wins have come by decision, and Barber plans on bringing the fight to her.
“More of what I look at is they’re decision wins,” Barber said. “They’re not finishes, they’re not dominant, they’re just decision wins. She’s doing enough to win a decision.
“All the girls that she’s fought that have gone for a finish, specifically (Jessica) Andrade, she got finished. That’s what we plan to do. We’re going to go out there and finish her. I’m not going out there to point fight with her. I’m going out there to finish her.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.
