TLDR
- Maycee Barber has withdrawn from her December 12 fight against Carli Judice at UFC 335 for undisclosed reasons
- The UFC has not confirmed the cancellation or announced a replacement opponent for Judice
- Barber has a documented history of withdrawing from fights due to recurring medical complications over the past two years
- She spent nine days hospitalized in 2024 with pneumonia and Epstein-Barr virus, and suffered seizures before a 2025 fight
- Barber’s most recent fight was a first-round knockout loss to Alexa Grasso in March 2026
Sources: yardbarker.com | essentiallysports.com
Maycee Barber has pulled out of her scheduled fight against Carli Judice at UFC 335 on December 12, 2026, according to reports from MMA content creator Kevin K. The reasons for the withdrawal have not been disclosed.
The UFC has not officially confirmed the cancellation or provided details about finding a replacement opponent for Judice. If no replacement is found in time, the bout will be removed from the card entirely.
Barber, ranked number 9 in the flyweight division, was coming off a first-round knockout loss to Alexa Grasso at UFC Seattle on March 28, 2026. She remained unresponsive briefly after the knockout but later confirmed to fans she was doing well.
This is undoubtedly one of the most terrifying moments I've ever seen inside the Octagon.
Imagine her family's reaction watching this live.
https://t.co/bmtmoGp7qs— Joe Rogan Podcast News (@joeroganhq) November 5, 2026
Odds reportedly favored Judice heading into what would have been her third fight of the year.
History of Medical Withdrawals
Barber has withdrawn from multiple high-profile fights over the past two years due to recurring medical issues. In July 2024, she pulled out of a main event fight against Rose Namajunas at UFC on ESPN 59 after spending nine days in the hospital following her previous bout.
Doctors discovered she had developed pneumonia and an Epstein-Barr virus infection during that hospitalization. Medical tests revealed problems with her blood, urine, gut health, hormones, and sinus microbiome.
These conditions caused persistent muscle pain, headaches, severe exhaustion, and impaired recovery. Doctors determined training and competition posed a risk of lasting damage to her health.
Barber explained on social media that antibiotics had “absolutely wrecked” her system. She said she couldn’t find the intensity needed for a five-round fight, let alone the first five minutes of practice.
Seizure Incident Before Blanchfield Fight
On May 31, 2025, Barber was scheduled to headline UFC on ESPN 68 against Erin Blanchfield. She missed weight by half a pound at the official weigh-ins, and the fight was moved to catchweight with Barber forfeiting 20 percent of her purse.
Barber suffered what were reported as seizures backstage minutes before the walkout and pulled out at the last minute. She later told ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto that there was “a medical emergency” during her warmup but she couldn’t remember everything that happened.
“The doctors, the commissioners, like everybody saw it, and the commissioners were asking me if I was okay,” Barber said. “I was saying that I was, and then they didn’t think that I was.”
Barber returned to competition on December 6, 2025, at UFC 323, where she defeated Karine Silva by unanimous decision. The March 2026 loss to Grasso marked her most recent appearance in the octagon.
UFC 335 is scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card has already experienced changes, with a previously scheduled fight between Joe Pyfer and Bo Nickal cancelled and rescheduled.
Over a month remains before the December 12 event, giving the UFC time to find a replacement opponent for Judice or make other adjustments to the fight card.
