Erin Blanchfield isn`t dwelling on any negative feelings towards Maycee Barber, but she stands by her emotional reaction after their scheduled fight was cancelled just moments before her walkout.
At a recent UFC event, Blanchfield was about to enter the octagon for the main event when she was informed by UFC executive Hunter Campbell that the bout was off due to Barber suffering a medical emergency. In the immediate aftermath, a visibly upset Blanchfield made sharp comments about Barber, suggesting she needed to sort out her life.
While Barber later disputed Blanchfield`s characterization and issued an apology for the withdrawal, Blanchfield has no regrets about how she expressed her frustration given the unexpected turn of events.
Blanchfield clarified, “I don’t wish her any illness. We’ve had our exchanges, but it’s always been about fighting. I was simply upset. As someone who loves to compete, I`ve been doing it since I was a kid, and when I got that close to doing it and couldn`t, it was incredibly disappointing. It felt almost like a defeat in a way. So, doing media right after that intense moment was difficult.”
“I believe my anger in that moment was justified,” she added. “Now, a couple of days have passed, she’s apologized, and it is what it is. I`d prefer to move on from this specific fight and arrange something else.”
Blanchfield admitted she was in a state of shock initially when the news of the cancellation hit. It took her a few moments to fully grasp that she wouldn`t be competing that night.
“When Hunter Campbell told me the fight was off, I was still in disbelief,” Blanchfield recounted. “They suggested taking my gloves off, and I said no, I can’t, I haven’t even fought yet! I can’t take them off. It was certainly a surreal experience.”
“It just feels very deflating,” she continued. “You`re left with all this pent-up energy and emotions, ready to go, and then it has nowhere to be released. It all just stays inside. So, leaving the APEX without the usual sense of relief you get from competing, whether you win or lose, felt quite strange.”
Weeks prior to the planned fight, Blanchfield had voiced concerns about facing Barber, noting a previous withdrawal from a bout and a long period of inactivity due to an undisclosed medical condition.
Barber had dismissed these concerns as “ignorant,” but Blanchfield certainly didn`t want to see her worries validated by what transpired.
“I was concerned leading up to the fight,” Blanchfield stated. “I thought maybe she might withdraw a week or two out, as she had done before. I didn`t anticipate getting to fight week, completing everything, and her being at the arena ready to go, only for it to be cancelled. That level of lateness wasn`t expected.”
“I understand she had a health issue in the locker room, which might have been beyond her control,” she acknowledged. “Even though I had mentioned my concerns previously, once the fight was so imminent, I truly didn`t think it would happen then.”
Following the cancellation, the UFC compensated Blanchfield with her full fight pay, including what would have been her win bonus. Additionally, she received a percentage of Barber`s purse due to Barber missing weight the day before.
“I`m definitely thankful that the UFC handled it correctly and paid me,” Blanchfield commented. “I received my show money and win money, plus a portion of her pay for missing weight. Financially, they squared things away, but I absolutely still wanted to perform and prove myself in the division. I suppose I`ll have to wait for another opportunity for that.”
“I did get the money – I mean, I completed basically everything except the final part because she wasn`t available or healthy. But hopefully, we can figure something out soon with a different opponent,” she added.
Considering the dramatic events at UFC Vegas 107, a future fight between Blanchfield and Barber would offer a compelling narrative, but the 26-year-old New Jersey native has no plans to pursue it.
While she hopes Barber receives the necessary help for any health issues and can eventually return to action, Blanchfield is focused on moving forward in her career and exploring new matchups.
“I definitely don’t plan on rebooking with her,” Blanchfield stated unequivocally. “This is the second fight that has fallen through, and I know she`s had her issues, but that`s precisely why – if she`s that unwell and needs time or cannot be consistent or reliable because of it – that`s a situation I want to avoid being involved in.”
