‘We Don’t Have An Off-Season’

UFC flyweight contender Maycee Barber has explained why she doesn’t really believe in ring rust in mixed martial arts.

After a long spell on the shelf due to health problems, Maycee Barber returned to action at UFC 323 in a winning effort against Karine Silva. She had to overcome some adversity in the form of a couple of blatant fouls, but in the end, she picked up the victory, and vaulted herself right back into contention at 125 pounds.

As we look ahead to the future, it seems as if Maycee Barber is eyeing a possible showdown with Alexa Grasso, to whom she suffered a defeat five years ago. The latest reports suggest that it could take place at UFC Seattle.

In a recent interview, Maycee Barber gave her thoughts on the concept of ring rust and whether or not she believes in it.

Maycee Barber’s view on ring rust

“I work hard and I believe in myself, and we only get 15 minutes in there and I want to go out there and give it everything I got. I want to make myself proud. I want to make my coaches proud. I want to make the UFC proud. At the end of the day, I’ve put in all the work, so I have nothing but the expectation of ‘Just go out there and have fun.’ If I was going to have ring rust, it probably would have been in sparring. It probably would have been in training. That’s what camp is for. That’s why we train. That’s why we’re in the gym.”​

“When I’m out, I’m not just out and sitting around doing nothing. Whether I’m injured or not, I’m either training mentally or I’m training physically. If I’m not booked for a fight and I’m not injured, I’m in the gym all the time. I still train as though I have a fight. It’s just a daily routine. This is my life. This is a career that I chose where we don’t have an on‑season, off‑season. This is an everyday thing. 

“So I didn’t feel like I was going to have that timing or ring rust, because if I was going to have it, it would’ve been in the training – which I did have in training – but that’s why I have the coaches I have. If something’s off, we’re going to fix it, dial it in, and make sure we peak at the right time.”