Entering Saturday’s slate of action, female UFC fighter Maycee Barber was expected to take of business and continue her quest for a title. She was undefeated and ready to defeat Roxanne Modafferi. However, the 21-year-old Barber suffered two brutal injuries during the second round.
DROPPED! 👊@RoxyFighter putting Maycee down in R2! #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/mgkR1oIH7Q
— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020
Midway through the second round, Modafferi threw a punch that barely grazed Barber’s chin. However, the undefeated fighter immediately dropped to the mat. She was spotted grabbing at her knee, which led many to believe that she had suffered significant damage.
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Following the second round, a doctor entered the ring to examine Barber’s knee. This was something that Joe Rogan said he had never seen in the history of the UFC. Those in charge viewed the exam as necessary considering that Barber had to limp to her stool in apparent pain.
Rogan did not want to speculate about the extent of the injury, but thousands of viewers clearly heard the assessment after a brief examination. “She’s got a partial ACL tear, she’s okay,” the doctor could be heard saying, which was jaw-dropping to many. They couldn’t believe that Barber was allowed to continue fighting.
Later in the fight, she suffered a cut on the side of her head. The exact location was unknown, but Barber was losing a significant amount of blood during the second and third rounds. There were several spots on the mat, and it could be seen dripping from her head.
“What a warrior!!! I feel so bad for you Maycee! Even with a knee injury, you fought your heart out! Respect!!” one user commented on Twitter. Several others chimed in to express their support for the young fighter.
Barber finished the fight while dealing with the two injuries, but she ultimately lost. Modafferi earned the Unanimous Decision victory on Saturday night and proved that she is still a contender.
Many users gave Modafferi props for decisively taking care of business on Saturday night despite being the biggest underdog of the entire night. However, they also wanted to make a point to mention that Barber reportedly tore her acl and lost a lot of blood but didn’t give up. She went the entire distance.
“Maycee Barber. Good lord you absolute fighter. Heads pouring with blood. ACL tear and you’ve carried on #UFC246,” one individual commented on social media.
Photo Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
