What Should Be Next for Miranda Maverick After UFC Atlanta?

What Should Be Next for Miranda Maverick After UFC Atlanta?6 days ago

Miranda Maverick showed her trademark toughness and grappling grit in a competitive loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC on ESPN 69. Despite being outstruck early, Maverick had her moments—most notably in Round 2, where she reversed position, landed damaging ground strikes, and threatened a submission. However, a knockdown and dominant control from Namajunas in the final round sealed the decision. With the loss, Maverick fell to 15–6 but remains a top-15 contender at flyweight.

Next up for Miranda Maverick should be a long-overdue rematch against Maycee Barber. Their first meeting at UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw in July 2021 ended in a highly controversial split decision win for Barber, a result many analysts and fans disagreed with. Since then, both women have evolved considerably. Maverick has added polish to her striking and logged wins over solid competition like Andrea Lee and Jamey-Lyn Horth, while Barber surged to the top 5 with victories over Amanda Ribas and Katlyn Cerminara.

A rematch in late 2025 would offer both fighters a high-stakes opportunity—Barber can silence lingering doubts about their first fight, while Maverick can right a perceived wrong and break into the elite tier of the division. With Barber recently recovering from a medical emergency that forced her out of UFC on ESPN 68, a fall matchup with Maverick would allow both flyweights time to reset and prepare for a pivotal bout.

Last Five Fights (Miranda Maverick):

1. Loss to Rose Namajunas – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ESPN 69 (June 14, 2025)
2. Win over Jamey-Lyn Horth – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley (December 14, 2024)
3. Win over Dione Barbosa – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ESPN: Lemos vs. Jandiroba (July 20, 2024)
4. Win over Andrea Lee – Decision (unanimous), UFC 298 (February 17, 2024)
5. Win over Priscila Cachoeira – Submission (armbar), UFC 291 (July 29, 2023)

Last Five Fights (Maycee Barber):

1. Win over Katlyn Cerminara – Decision (unanimous), UFC 299 (March 9, 2024)
2. Win over Amanda Ribas – TKO (elbows and punches), UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria (June 24, 2023)
3. Win over Andrea Lee – Decision (split), UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Sandhagen (March 25, 2023)
4. Win over Jessica Eye – Decision (unanimous), UFC 276 (July 2, 2022)
5. Win over Montana De La Rosa – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade (April 23, 2022)