Maycee Barber’s hopes of becoming the youngest UFC champion ever took a major hit Saturday night at UFC 246.
The No. 9-ranked women’s flyweight contender was undefeated heading into her bout against veteran Roxanne Modafferi, but suffered two key injuries during the fight — a gruesome facial cut that had blood pouring from her forehead, and a debilitating knee injury that hindered her mobility throughout the fight.
Look away if you have a weak stomach: Maycee Barber suffered a gruesome facial cut during her UFC 246 Roxanne Modafferi. pic.twitter.com/cbK2TAG5Aa
— NESN (@NESN) January 19, 2020
Following the second round, a medical examiner took a look at Barber’s knee and microphones caught him telling the fight official, “She has a partially torn ACL, but she’s good to go.”
With her face bleeding profusely and a bum knee, she continued the fight and showed extreme toughness by taking it the distance. Barber lost the fight via unanimous decision, but definitely won over some fans because of her perseverance in the bout.
The 21-year-old had her sights set on breaking Jon Jones’ record of becoming the youngest UFC champion ever after winning her first three fights in the promotion. Despite the setback, she still has until early 2022 to achieve the feat.
