Maycee Barber showed some weaknesses early but made the needed adjustments to battle back for an impressive finish of J.J. Aldrich.
The women’s flyweight bout opened up the main card of today’s UFC on ESPN+ 6 event at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. It streamed on ESPN+.
Aldrich (7-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) was quick to pressure at the start, landing a stiff left hand over a low kick that sent Barber (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) to the floor. Aldrich didn’t follow, letting Barber come back to the feet, where the two looked to trade. Barber looked to start with kicks, but Aldrich was calm and countered with fantastic timing, certainly gaining her opponent’s attention. Aldrich’s punches continued to serve as the most effective weapon in the contest, and she landed clean over the top with crisp shots. An off-balance Barber went down again in the final minute, though Aldrich again declined to join her there.
Aldrich remained committed to her plan in the second, committing to pure boxing and repeatedly finding her mark. Aldrich was prepared for Barber’s advances and answered them in textbook fashion. Barber was effective when she turned to a Thai clinch, and she landed a big left hand shortly after, clearly wobbling her opponent. Barber sensed the opening and turned up the heat, landing a few big punches and a knee that saw Aldrich cover against the cage, ending the fight for an impressive comeback TKO at the 3:01 mark of the frame.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 6 results include:
- Maycee Barber def. J.J. Aldrich via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:01
- Bryce Mitchell def. Bobby Moffett via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marlon Vera def. Frankie Saenz via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:25
- Jennifer Maia def. Alexis Davis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Randa Markos def. Angela Hill via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:24
- Chris Gutierrez def. Ryan MacDonald via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jordan Espinosa def. Eric Shelton via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 6, check out the UFC Events section of the site.