Saturday night on the prelims of UFC 299, we are going to see a big time matchup in the women’s flyweight division. Top six contenders will battle it out as former title challenger and fourth ranked contender Katlyn Cerminara (18-5) will take on surging top contender Maycee Barber (13-2).
Starting with Cerminara, this will be her first bout since October 2022. The former title challenger was open about her layoff and mentioned her struggled with fertility during media day this week. Cerminara returned to fighting and is hoping to get the opportunity to start her family in the future. Fighting keeps her mind free and that’s why she’s returned to the sport right now.
In terms of her standing, despite the layoff, she’s still firmly in the top five at 125. She’s coming off a loss to Manon Fiorot, but prior to that, she had won four straight fights which got her back into the title picture prior to losing to Fiorot.
Standing across from her on Saturday will be Maycee Barber. Barber earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series and won her first three fights by stoppage inside the octagon. She dreamed of being the youngest champ in promotional history, but two straight losses and a series of injuries derailed those dreams.
However, since July 2021, she has been on a roll. Barber has won five fights in a row leading to Saturday night. Most recently, she stopped Amanda Ribas last June in a brutal performance. If Barber is able to defeat Cerminara, she will be likely only a win away from a title shot.
UFC 299 Prediction
When it comes to this matchup on Saturday night, a lot is going to come down to how Cerminara fights and if she’s able to keep things at her range. We know that she is a volume machine and if she’s able to fight behind her straight shots and kicks from range, she can easily point her way to a decision win at UFC 299.
I’m expecting Barber to be the more physical fighter and I also expect her to have the bigger shots on Saturday night. Will her physicality and power carry her over the volume of Cerminara? That is going to be the big question. With the way Cerminara fights, you should always expect a competitive fight and likely a decision.
I think we are heading down that path again on Saturday. Ultimately, I do think the bigger shots and moments will come from Barber which will win her at least two of the rounds. However, a big volume advantage from Cerminara will occur which will make for a close decision. Wouldn’t be shocked to see either of these two get their hand raised on Saturday.
Prediction: Maycee Barber by Decision