UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber prediction, stats and fight breakdown

After a week with no event, the UFC returns to the Las Vegas APEX next weekend for its latest Fight Night. In the headliner, we've got a potential flyweight title eliminator.

Ranked No.4 and No.5 in the UFC's 125-pound division, Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber probably both believe they deserve a crack at the gold.

With Valentina Shevchenko's next title defense not yet confirmed, then, a strong showing from either woman here could bump them to the front of the queue.

So can either 'Cold Blooded' or 'The Future' make the UFC believe in them as the next big challenger at flyweight?

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber stats

Interestingly, both Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber have nearly the exact same amount of experience in MMA, with Blanchfield's record standing at 13-2 and Barber's at 14-2.

Barber does have 11 bouts in the UFC compared to eight for Blanchfield, but despite making her debut nearly three years before 'Cold Blooded', this will be her first headline bout. Blanchfield, meanwhile, will be headlining her second UFC event.

In terms of opponents faced, again, both women have similar levels of experience. Blanchfield has fought - and beaten - two former UFC champions in Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade.

Barber has never beaten a former champion - she lost to Alexa Grasso - but has beaten two former title challengers in Katlyn Cerminara and Jessica Eye.

The physical stats are also relatively even between the two. Barber will enjoy a one-inch height advantage, standing at 5-foot-5 compared to Blanchfield at 5-foot-4. However, 'The Future' will be giving up a single inch in reach.

UFC Fight Night: Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber breakdown and prediction

Interestingly, not only do these two women have similar statistics in most areas, but they also approach their fights with a similar style, too.

Both Blanchfield and Barber prefer to look to physically overwhelm their foes, using their raw strength and power to bully them onto the back foot.

Both also love to push a torrid pace, and although Barber has not fought a five-round bout before, she has shown a tendency to get stronger as a fight goes on. That suggests cardio shouldn't be an issue for her.

On the feet, it's fair to say that neither woman is technically brilliant. Barber is perhaps the slightly smoother striker, and has come a long way from her early days when she threw little else but haymakers.

Where Barber really shines is from close quarters. She was able to bully the more technical Cerminara from the clinch, outlanding her in their fight by a clear 18 significant strikes.

It was against Amanda Ribas that she produced her best showing, though. Despite being knocked down, she was able to draw the Brazilian into a firefight, outpowered her and eventually stopped her with a salvo of elbows.

Similarly, Blanchfield is no technical kickboxer. In fact, her lone loss in the octagon saw her unable to bully Manon Fiorot, who then outpointed her on the feet for a clear-cut win.

Better was her win over Namajunas, as she came on strong towards the end of the fight to edge out a win over the former champion. However, that win could be a bit of a red flag for her leading into this fight.

That's because at times - until 'Thug Rose' got a little tired - Blanchfield struggled to outpower a fighter who has always been a smaller 125-pounder, being, of course, the former titleholder at 115 pounds.

Barber, on the other hand, might not be the most technical fighter at 125 pounds, but she's arguably the most physically imposing and powerful. This can be seen by the fact that she has a higher takedown accuracy than 'Cold Blooded' and does better work from the clinch.

To add to this, while 'The Future' doesn't necessarily strike with a lot of volume, when she does land, she tends to do a lot of damage, as we saw in her impressive 2019 win over Gillian Robertson.

Overall, then, because their styles are very similar, that power advantage for Barber should prove to be the difference here.

The Prediction: Maycee Barber wins via decision

UFC Fight Night: Undercard Predictions

Picks in bold

Lightweight bout: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Ludovit Klein

Welterweight bout: Billy Goff vs. Seok Ko Hyun

Light-heavyweight bout: Dustin Jacoby vs. Bruno Lopes

Middleweight bout: Zachary Reese vs. Dusko Todorovic

Flyweight bout: Jafel Filho vs. Allan Nascimento

Bantamweight bout: Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson

Welterweight bout: Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Oban Elliott

Lightweight bout: Kurt Holobaugh vs. Jordan Leavitt

Lightweight bout: Marquel Mederos vs. Bolaji Oki

Strawweight bout: Rayanne dos Santos vs. Alice Ardelean

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Tejas Rathi