Maycee Barber seemingly won’t get the opportunity to bounce back this year.

It was reported last month that Barber was set to face Carli Judice in December at the final numbered event of 2026.

The American’s return would have brought up some big questions following the loss she suffered to Alexa Grasso earlier this year.

After being on the wrong end of one of the most violent finishes of the year, the 28-year-old has reportedly suffered another setback.

Is there more to come from Maycee Barber or have we already seen her best days?

The former prospect is now 28 years old

Maycee Barber out of UFC 335 with plans to rebook Carli Judice matchup

It was reported on November 7 by Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, following an initial post from realkevink on X, that Maycee Barber will no longer be returning at UFC 335.

The American flyweight is out of her scheduled matchup with Carli Judice, though no reason was given for this withdrawal.

Heck did add that the plan is to reschedule this matchup rather than finding a replacement opponent for Judice, meaning that UFC 335 is now down one fight.

This bout wasn’t just an important one for Barber because she’d be bouncing back from the most devastating loss of her career.

The 28-year-old was riding a six-fight win streak before that defeat, though her momentum was stalled by various significant health issues.

Judice putting together four consecutive wins since a loss on her UFC debut meant that this was her first big opportunity to take out an established contender in the division.

Barber has always been a star that the UFC has got behind, but a loss to a rising contender like Judice could’ve marked a clear shift in her career.

The fact that the promotion is choosing to rebook this fight suggests that this matchup to either re-establish Barber as a top name at flyweight or accelerate the rise of a new contender is one they’re keen on.

From the perspective of the stakes involved, it makes sense to delay this fight given that it’s a logical next step for both women to take in their careers.

The reported plan being to reschedule the matchup suggests that Barber won’t be spending too much time on the sidelines, which is a positive.

She’s only competed once per year for the last three years, which has had an impact on her trajectory despite the wins she was able to put together around this time.