Maycee Barber wants Alexa Grasso rematch, open to title backup role

MIAMI – Maycee Barber wants another crack at Alexa Grasso, and is willing to be a backup fighter for her next title fight.

With a strong unanimous decision win over Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) extended her current winning streak to six. It was a performance in which she achieved her goal of “bullying” the former title challenger, and now she wants to revisit a 2021 matchup against the current champion.

Grasso (16-3-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) was recently announced as a coach opposite Valentina Shevchenko in the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which likely means a trilogy bout between the pair is on the horizon. Barber is willing to take on a backup role for that fight if it means getting her hands on Grasso again.

“Given that it was announced that they’re going to be having the trilogy most likely, I definitely want to be the backup for that fight,” Barber told reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I want my rematch, and I think I’m the perfect person for it. There’s a lot of other girls in the division that have some skill, but they’re boring fighters. I’m not a boring fighter, and I know that would be the main event and that would be a title fight for sure, and it would be a great one.

“There’s a big story behind that too. The rematch with Alexa Grasso would be huge. I don’t know if I necessarily would wait. That’s something I have to talk to Dana (White), Mick (Maynard), Hunter (Campbell) and everyone about. We’ll be figuring that out soon.”

Barber, 25, suffered her last setback against Grasso at UFC 258 by unanimous decision, which was the second of back-to-back losses. Since then, “The Future” has been on a tear, winning six consecutive fights, including wins over two former title challengers in Cerminara and Jessica Eye.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.