The name — “The Future” — says it all. It says a lot about the person and perhaps offers a hint into UFC’s next big star.
Before Conor McGregor meets Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the UFC 246 main event Saturday night in Las Vegas (10 PM; ESPN+ PPV), 21-year-old American Maycee Barber will get a chance to prove that she will be one of the faces of the sport for years to come.
She’s young, she’s brash and she has a world of talent. Some have made early comparisons to Ronda Rousey. Barber, undefeated through eight fights (five wins by knockout, two by submission, one by decision), has a countdown clock on her phone, counting until she turns 23 years and eight months old. That’s the age light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was when he became the youngest UFC fighter to win a title.
“I do see myself as a record-breaker,” Barber told Business Insider. “I am going to break that record.
“It’s not a race I’m rushing toward, but it’s something that’s going to happen. It’s something we’re continuing to put in work for. … I’m essentially in two camps in my mind because I’m constantly in a camp for the biggest fight of my life, which is a title shot.”
The ninth-ranked women’s flyweight first has to get past veteran Roxanne Modaferri. But the Milwaukee native has her sights set much higher than the 37-year-old, seventh-ranked flyweight. Barber has been preparing for this for a while. She began taking karate at the age of 3 and jiu jitsu a decade ago. Some have dubbed her “female Spartan.” Barber talks the talk, similar to Rousey and McGregor, fighters she looks up to. She talked about following up a win on Saturday with a matchup with a top-five opponent such as Jessica Eye or Joanne Calderwood in the next few months.
“I’m not expecting a title shot after this fight … I’m expecting to fight two to three more times and then hopefully fight for the title at the end of this year,” Barber said. “I want to stay active, for sure.”
Rousey and McGregor became big stars because of their success in the octagon. Barber knows she has a long way to go. The hype is there, thanks to a big social media presence and her documented bravado. It can take her far, but only if she backs it up.
She did so in her first UFC fight in November 2018 when she bloodied Hannah Cifers, forcing the ref to stop the fight.
“It’s all part of the plan, but fighting is always going to be what sets me up for those opportunities,” she said. “That’s how I view it. I bumped from 8,000 followers to 80,000 after my first UFC fight.”
