SAN ANTONIO – Seemingly every fighter guns for the fighter holding gold in their division, but Maycee Barber wants UFC women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso for a different reason.
Grasso won a competitive unanimous decision against Barber (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in 2021 at UFC 258. Even more than two years later as she approaches Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 43, Barber still speaks with internally directed frustration when she talks about the February 2021 loss.
“I do want that fight back with Alexa, but like I said, it’s whether she’s the champ or not,” Barber told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “If she has the belt when it comes time, then I want her. If Valentina is back to being the champ, then I want her. But at the end of the day, I still have my journey to the top and right now I think I’m currently No. 13, so I’ve got to work my way up again.”
