Maycee Barber’s Father: Roxanne Modafferi Didn’t Win Because Of A Better Skill Set
One of the more shocking results of this past weekend’s (Sat. January 18, 2020) UFC 246 pay-per-view (PPV) was the women’s flyweight bout between Maycee Barber and Roxanne Modafferi.
Modafferi came out and took control of the fight early before Barber suffered a completely torn ACL that impaired her ability to walk or strike correctly. Despite this, Barber still managed to finish the fight, making it competitive at times. However, it was a Modafferi landslide from start to finish. Many expected Barber to run through Modafferi, and the early betting line showed it. However, when it was all said and done, Modafferi came out on top.
Now, Barber’s father, Bucky, has taken to Instagram to reflect on the defeat. However, Bucky doesn’t seem to be taking this as a true loss for his daughter due to the ACL tear. He added that Barber was defeated by circumstance rather than from Modafferi’s skill set alone.
“The work was in, the skill level at its peak her only way of defeat is if bad luck kissed her on the cheek. Ten seconds in a complete ACL tear turned the probable into the unlikely. Though she had her moments and showed more heart than most have ever witnessed the night night ended with an Loss. However was it a loss?
“She was not beaten by a better skill set. She was beaten by one unfortunate step and turn of events. That is out of her control. The victory we take from this is we now know we have the highest level of heart to match the highest level of skill in the game. I have seen how athletes react when this injury occurs. Very very few stay standing let alone fight an mma fight for 15 minutes and still survive. That is insane.
“She will be back stronger and more dominant than ever and we as a team could not be more proud. The Future is real do not get confused with one step. The worst of luck smiles at us all! All we can do is smile back. She will see you all very soon. That which does not kill us makes us stronger. The Future, Version 2.0 to be feared.”
Prior to the defeat, Barber was undefeated in her mixed martial arts (MMA) career with a record of 8-0. The 21-year-old was on a mission to become the youngest champion in UFC history, a record currently held by UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. However, due to her ACL tear during her fight with Modafferi, and the lengthy recovery time from such an injury, those plans have taken a hit.
As for Modafferi, with such a big win over a popular rising star in Barber, she could be in line for an exciting opportunity next.
What do you think about Barber’s father’s comments? Do you agree?
