3 surprises from UFC Fight Night 139

#2: Barber carves Cifers up

Maycee Barber opened up an overmatched Hannah Cifers

The Women’s Strawweight tilt between Dana White’s Contender Series alum Maycee Barber and newcomer Hannah Cifers was always a big question mark as far as its spot on a UFC main card went. It was clear that the UFC brass was looking to push Barber, and for good reason – she’s just 20 years old, is pretty, and looked exciting on the Contender Series. But there was still a lot of mystery surrounding exactly how she’d do in the UFC proper.

The fight was splitting online analysts, with many feeling Cifers could be a better athlete than Barber, and with both women only ever having crushed overmatched opposition, there were worries that this could be a step too far for ‘The Future’. 4 of Bloody Elbow’s writers, for instance, took Cifers to win.

Instead, Barber proved that she’s definitely a prospect to watch by putting a one-sided beating on her opponent, carving her up with elbows and clinch work in the first round before destroying her with ground-and-pound in the second. By the time the fight was mercifully stopped, Cifers was a bloody mess and the Denver crowd had seen their most violent fight yet.

Many expected Barber to impress, but fewer experts figured she’d look quite this good in her first outing inside the Octagon. In pre-fight interviews she’d promised to become the UFC’s youngest ever champion – and judging on this performance it’s a possibility for sure.