Maycee Barber returns to the fight at UFC 335 after suffering a brutal knockout loss to former UFC women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso earlier this year.
Barber will face Carli Judice on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, marking her first appearance inside the Octagon since Grasso stopped her at UFC Seattle.
Grasso delivered one of the most frightening finishes of the year when she caught Barber with a vicious punch just minutes into their fight. The knockout left Barber visibly shaken inside the Octagon and raised concerns about the extent of her injuries.
The result ended Barber’s seven-fight winning streak and halted her push toward a flyweight title shot. However, the 28-year-old contender is now preparing to rebuild her momentum against a dangerous opponent who has been on an impressive run of her own.
MMA journalist Marcel Dorff first reported the matchup on Oct. 14, with the fight also appearing on the UFC 335 lineup.
Barber enters the matchup with a 15-3 professional record and the No. 6 ranking in the UFC women’s flyweight division. Before her loss to Grasso, she had built considerable momentum with victories over several experienced opponents.
Her winning streak included decisions over Karine Silva, Katlyn Cerminara, Andrea Lee, Jessica Eye, Montana De La Rosa and Miranda Maverick, as well as a second-round stoppage of Amanda Ribas.
Judice, meanwhile, brings a 7-2 record into the contest and has won four consecutive fights since losing her UFC debut to Gabriella Fernandes in June 2024.
The Dana White’s Contender Series alum has delivered several impressive performances during that run. She stopped Yuneisy Duben in March 2025, knocked out Nicolle Caliari at UFC 318 and earned a unanimous decision over Juliana Miller in February 2026.
Her latest victory came against Jeisla Chaves on August when she finished the fight with strikes in the first round.
A victory over Judice would give Barber an important opportunity to rebuild her momentum, although the UFC has not promised her an immediate title shot.
