Maycee Barber, Lupita Godinez Can Take Next Step Towards Title Contention

More than seven months ago, Barber was at rock bottom.

“The Future” was backstage, set to collide with Erin Blanchfield in a main-event fight. Barber had already had a rough cut that led to a weight miss. With minutes to go before the walk-ins, the fight was then cancelled – a disaster for nearly everyone involved.

This had happened before – Barber had had to withdraw from a main-event clash with Rose Namajunas because of health issues. The aftereffects of that episode apparently had been triggered here, and it led to much condemnation for her.

It proved to be a blessing in disguise, however. When Barber finally returned against Karine Silva at UFC 323 , she proved that she had not lost a beat, claiming a comprehensive decision win.

Now, Barber is set to walk into the biggest fight of her life. Grasso has had a rough stretch since winning the flyweight title, but she still holds a win over Barber. If “The Future” wants to arrive now, she needs to exorcise the ghosts of five years ago.

Lupita Godinez: Momentum At The Right Time

Many may not know it, but Godinez will be entering Year Five in the Octagon. After inauspiciously splitting her first six fights, she went on a winning streak, taking four straight.

2024 came next. “Loopy” was turned back by Virna Jandiroba in March, then returned over four months later to a decision loss to Mackenzie Dern. Those losses would age well, as both women would compete for the title the following year.

Speaking of that following year, Godinez used it to rebound. After stepping in for Yazmin Jauregui against Julia Polastri, she got back on track. That was followed by a career-defining matchup against former champion Jessica Andrade, which Godinez won convincingly.

At 32 years of age, Godinez should know she does not have much time left to make a run. Quite fortunately for her, however, Suarez has seen her stock drop dramatically in her last two fights. The former The Ultimate Fighter winner was dominated by Weili Zhang during their title fight, and then she was lackluster in a rebound win against Amanda Lemos. Entering her second fight since that shot, Suarez has much to prove, and so does Godinez.

As Zhang continues to ponder her next career move, Godinez will aim to join a rejigged shortlist of contenders. Perhaps if “Magnum” decides to be a flyweight permanently, a rematch against Dern will be a possibility should she win.

End Of My Lupita Godinez And Maycee Barber Rant

Women’s strawweight and flyweight are each currently in an interesting place. Zhang still does not know what she will do next, and so does Valentina Shevchenko, who has teased fighting for the bantamweight title next.

Plenty of contenders find themselves in limbo, seeing that they have to try eliminating each other to bolster their chances. Godinez and Barber are only two of that pack, and they will hope that victories will further separate them from the rest…