Miranda Maverick vs Maycee Barber Prediction

July 22, 2021

Miranda Maverick -145 vs Maycee Barber

Fight is at 125 lbs and is +155 to end inside the distance. 

Betting Pick: Barber +125

✅ This is a great fight for the women’s flyweight division. Miranda Maverick stormed into the promotion with dominant wins over Liana Jojua and Gillian Robertson. Maverick is a grappler who has seen her striking catch up to some extent and is looking like someone with a strong future in the promotion. Enter the irony as this fight is with Maycee “The Future” Barber is not dissimilar to where her opponent was a couple of years ago. Maverick is facing a totally different test than she did in her first pair of UFC fights, and we will see how she responds to that. She will be fighting an opponent with real power and finishing ability for the first time. Maverick will likely be turned to a wrestler once the striking settles in. I do not think she can hang with Barber in the stand up. While I do think she will be able to land on Barber, I think the power coming back will shy Maverick away from wanting to spend too much time striking. It will be key for Maverick to be able to get the fight down and use top control to take rounds. If she is unable to do so early and her disadvantage in the stand up becomes apparent, she may end up telegraphing her entries and it could lead to a tough night for her. 

✅ Maycee Barber is coming off a pair of losses after winning her first four fights in the promotion via, all via KO. Of course the first loss was as a massive favorite when she blew out her knee during the fight. The most recent loss to Alexa Grasso was a close loss, and one in which she showed a complete skill set, real power, but still lacking in experience. She will not have that issue in this fight as she is the more experienced fighter. Barber will be the better striker and she certainly packs huge power for this division. She is a rounded fighter as well, but is still a striker before a grappler. She has solid BJJ and knows how to stay safe on the mat, but she will need to see her takedown defense hold up. She would be in danger of being controlled for periods if taken down. Where her bread and butter will be is in the stand up and progressively putting damage on her opponent. The power that Barber lands will be new for an inexperienced opponent and not something Maverick will have an easy time adjusting to on the fly. 

✅ Barber opened as a moderate favorite in this fight, but the money has just poured in Miranda Maverick. I am a fan of Maverick and she has a solid future, but I think this is a fight in which Barber gets herself back on track. Getting significant value on the underdog compared to where the bookmakers opened the line, I am happy to take the +125 flat line on Barber. The +320 ITD line is tempting, but not going to go there as I think we learn something about the durability of Maverick in this matchup. 

Betting Pick: Barber +125
TJ
TJ Calkins
TJ Calkins was raised in a gambling loving household. He knew how to handicap horse races and follow line movements well before his tenth birthday. While sports betting remained a passion into adulthood, poker and Daily Fantasy Sports also became passions and remain as such today.