Erin Blanchfield will look to halt Maycee Barber’s winning run when the pair meet in the Women’s Flyweight main event of UFC on ESPN: Blanchfield v Barber, set for the Apex facility in Las Vegas on the morning of 1 June 2025.
Blanchfield (13-2) has racked up 10 wins in her last 11 fights, most recently defeating former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas via unanimous decision in November of last year.
The 26-year-old, who hails from New York and is known by the moniker ‘Cold Blooded’, has called out her opponent for allegedly avoiding top fighters in the past.
“I was matched up to fight her, she pulled out of that fight,” Blanchfield said of a proposed match between them two years ago. “I believe I heard Manon said [Barber] didn’t want to fight her either. They were supposed to be matched up and [Barber] said no.
“She talks a lot for somebody who’s scared of fighting people at the very top. I don’t really care much for her opinion. If you’re too scared to fight people at this level, people that are at the top of their game, you shouldn’t be talking.”
Barber (14-2), has put together a six-match winning streak, most recently overcoming Katlyn Cerminara via unanimous decision at UFC 299 more than 14 months ago.
The 27-year-old, who hails from Colorado and is known as ‘The Future’, has taken her own verbal shots at Blanchfield in the build-up to this clash.
“Erin fought my leftovers,” Barber explained. “Erin fought JJ Aldrich after I beat her. Erin fought Miranda Maverick after I beat her. Erin’s fighting the leftovers, and she’s fighting girls after I already changed them.
“JJ Aldrich, after I beat her, was never the same fighter that she was ever again. She was always shy of getting hit after I hit her.
“Erin doesn’t have the power that I have, and so for her to say that [referring to the above quotes], I think it’s just completely ignorant and uneducated. I think she’s just trying to create the storyline and the drama.”
The rest of the main card features Mateusz Gamrot v L’udovit Klein in the lightweight division; a welterweight fight pits Billy Ray Goff againt Ko Seok-hyun; Dustin Jacoby faces Bruno Lopes in the light heavyweight division; a welterweight showdown sees Ramiz Brahimaj take on Oban Elliott; and a middleweight match sees Zachary Reese throw down against Dusko Todorovic.
UFC ON ESPN: BLANCHFIELD VS. BARBER – MAIN CARD
- Main event: Women’s flyweight: Erin Blanchfield v Maycee Barber
- Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot v L’udovit Klein
- Welterweight: Billy Ray Goff v Ko Seok-hyun
- Light heavyweight: Dustin Jacoby v Bruno Lopes
- Welterweight: Ramiz Brahimaj v Oban Elliott
- Middleweight: Zachary Reese v Dusko Todorovic