Maycee Barber was transported to a local hospital following her devastating knockout loss to Alexa Grasso at UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer on March 28, 2026 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. Her team has confirmed the flyweight fighter is recovering well after a terrifying finish that left her unconscious on the canvas.
The end came at 2:42 of the opening round with the fighters exchanging strikes on the feet. Grasso blasted Barber with a vicious punch that twisted her entire body around and sent the 27-year-old flyweight down to the canvas. Grasso followed with another punch before grabbing a rear-naked choke, but Barber was already unconscious as referee Mike Beltran rushed in to stop the fight.
Following the finish, Barber grabbed onto the referee out of instinct but then rolled over to the mat where she laid motionless for several minutes as medical personnel tended to her. Barber eventually sat up and left the cage under her own power before she left the arena for treatment.
Team Provides Update From Hospital
Late Saturday night, Barber reposted a message from her boyfriend Oscar Herrera, who posted from the hospital on Instagram.
Part of the game," Herrera wrote. "Congrats to Alexa, we got caught but are OK. Will be back soon, thanks for everyone checking in.
Barber's striking coach Guilherme Faria also posted an update after the fight was finished.
Not our night," Faria wrote. "This is the fight game and sometimes things don't go our way. No blame, no excuses, just lessons. We learn, we grow and we come back stronger. God is good all the time.
Barber has not released her own statement on the fight yet.
Second UFC Appearance After Medical Issues
The fight served as Barber's second appearance in the UFC after medical issues kept her sidelined for over a year and a half. That included another scary situation when she passed out backstage just moments before she was scheduled to walk to the octagon for a fight against Erin Blanchfield in May 2025.
Barber got the help she needed and finally returned this past December where she earned a unanimous decision over Karine Silva at UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 to extend her overall winning streak to seven in a row. She then booked the rematch against Grasso, who defeated her via decision in their first encounter over five years ago.
The knockout loss on Saturday ended that run and dropped Barber's professional record to 15-3. She now looks to recover from this fight before looking towards her future in the UFC flyweight division.
