Rose Namajunas revisits "uncalled for" moment with Maycee Barber's father: "You got to control yourself"
Rose Namajunas recently opened up about an encounter she had with Maycee Barber's father Bucky Barber. While Barber has never been hesitant with her confidence, Namajunas truly admires that element of her upcoming opponent. However, she does not appreciate how Barber's father spoke to her.
Namajunas is set to headline UFC Denver when she faces Barber in a potential UFC women’s flyweight title eliminator. The event is set to take place on July 13 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. This will mark the promotion's return to Denver for the first time since 2018.
In an interview with MMAJunkie.com's Mike Bohn, Namajunas talked about her interaction with Barber's father when they were training in Colorado. She said:
''Her dad was kind of disrespectful I feel back in the day, but that's just him... He was just yelling at my face, saying that, 'We're coming for you.'... If you're gonna gang up on me, then I got to get a gang up too. [It was] after a fight so I'm sure emotions were high but I personally was like that was uncalled for on his part."
Namajunas added:
"To me that's the etiquette - it should be just between a fighter and a fighter. I know that if you're a parent, you might have a little more emotion involved, but still you got to control yourself. That's not cool."
Check out Rose Namajunas' comments below (9:49):
Namajunas (13-6) defeated Amanda Ribas by unanimous decision in March, snapping a two-fight losing streak. 'Thug' has a 1-1 record after transitioning to the flyweight division. Meanwhile, Barber enters her first UFC main event with a six-fight winning streak, having defeated Katlyn Cerminara by a majority decision at UFC 299 in March.
The winner of this bout will most likely face the winner of Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko, which is scheduled to take place in the fall after 'The Ultimate Fighter 32' completes its broadcast.
When Maycee Barber was called out by Rose Namajunas for being "a bully"
Rose Namajunas made a name for herself in the flyweight division with a win over Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 89 and disclosed the identities of potential opponents.
'Thug' has already plotted her next moves to secure the title shot. At the post-fight press conference, Namajunas shared her thoughts on rising contender Maycee Barber. She said:
''I think she's [Maycee Barber] a savage, you know. She's a big girl, she's strong, she's just like a bully in there, you know! I knew her when she was really young. She used to call me out back when she was younger and things like that. I think it's kind of funny but she's really tough and that would defintely motivate me and get me going every day. She throws with really bad intentions but yeah, this is cool too.''
Check out Rose Namajunas' comments below: