Former flyweight title challenger Jessica Eye was paired up with prospect Maycee Barber on the UFC 276 early prelims — with the duo coming together at very different moments in their respective careers.
Eye was fighting just to hold on to her spot on the roster at UFC 276, having lost her last three. Barber, meanwhile, was on the rebound, having won two after losing back-to-back fights immediately prior to that.
In the end, it was very much a changing of the guard fight.
No glove touch for the pair of flyweights. A left hand from Eye started the fight, but Barber immediately clinched up and landed some knees. Eye put Barber against the fence while landing some knees and a jumping shoulder. Barber landed a couple of elbows from the clinch and eventually reversed Eye. They finally broke, and Eye landed a 1-2, while Barber landed another elbow. Eye tried to put her opponent against the fence again but ate some more elbows. Less than a minute left in the round, and Barber landed another elbow while Eye clinched with her.
Round two started with a 1-2 from Barber. Barber landed a right hand that stunned Eye, but Eye powered through and clinched her. With nearly four minutes left, Barber reversed Eye. Thirty seconds later, and the fighters broke for a couple of seconds before Eye clinched with Barber. Approaching the midway mark, and the fighters took the center of the octagon. Barber hit Eye with a head kick and then immediately got taken down. Eye ended the round on top of Barber but didn’t do much.
Round three started with a front kick from Barber. A low kick from Eye followed. Barber went low and ate a punch. Another high kick from Barber. A minute had ticked away. Barber landed another head kick followed by a punch. Eye clinched with Barber after she missed a punch, but it didn’t last long. Eye clinched with Barber again but ate an elbow. Eye ate a body kick and right hand. Less than two minutes left, and Barber landed another front kick. 1:15 left, and Eye ate a head kick while going for a takedown. With less than a minute remaining in the fight, Barber landed a stiff right hand. Eye clinched with Barber, and the fight ended there.
No surprises on the scorecards, with Maycee Barber picking up the unanimous decision victory. Following the fight, Barber announced that she had fought out her contract. Eye, meanwhile, left her gloves in the octagon, and confirmed to Joe Rogan that she was retiring.
Congratulations @JessicaEvilEye on a great career 👏
[ #UFC276 Early Prelims are LIVE NOW on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/zb2WgtXzAp
— UFC (@ufc) July 2, 2022
“I think it’s time. I’ve been a pro since 2009, I’ve had plenty of UFC fights,” said Eye, who recalled first meeting Maycee Barber after the latter’s appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, taking her aside to give her advice and ensure that she wasn’t alone.
Urging fighters not to separate themselves, she added that “I’ve spent my entire 20s and most of my 30s [fighting], I’d like to see what the rest of the world looks like.”
Official Result: Maycee Barber def. Jessica Eye by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
