The UFC opened its year with UFC 324, but the event quickly ran into trouble. The promotion cancelled two fights before the fight night, setting the tone for an uneven card. Still, the most stunning moment came inside the Octagon during the middleweight bout, when veteran referee Mark Smith injured his knee while officiating. He went down mid-fight, and officials escorted him out of the arena, forcing an abrupt stoppage that shocked the crowd. While many fans expressed concern, UFC flyweight contender Maycee Barber showed no sympathy.

The tension between Maycee Barber and referee Mark Smith flared up last month during ‘The Future’s comeback fight against Karine Silva at UFC 323. In the fight, Silva landed an illegal upkick on Barber while she was grounded. Even though the referee briefly stopped the action, Smith accused Barber of overreacting to the strike. The moment immediately drew backlash, and Barber later said she did not feel “safe” competing under Smith’s supervision. Now, Barber has thrown a public jab at the referee following his injury.

Maycee Barber throws shade at Mark Smith following his ACL injury

“Dear Mark Smith…Stop… it was only a glancing blow… you’re fine,” Barber wrote on Thread, taking a dig at referee Mark Smith while sharing a photo of him being escorted out of the arena.

Despite the controversy, Barber defeated Silva by decision at UFC 323, extending her winning streak to seven fights after returning from a 21-month layoff. She later explained that the illegal strike caused a sharp, tingling sensation, saying it felt like it “hit my funny bone.” Replay footage clearly showed the kick landing.

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However, Mark Smith neither gave ‘The Future’ enough recovery time nor penalized Silva for the foul, even though the video evidence clearly showed the illegal strike. As a result, the incident continues to shape Barber’s stance, and she has made her position clear.

“I don’t want him reffing my fights at all,” Maycee Barber said. “I don’t feel safe in there with him anymore… don’t feel like he’s a very fair ref,” she told MMA Fighting.

Barber has faced a rough patch in her career. She was set to return against Erin Blanchfield, but a seizure struck her just before the fight, and officials did not medically clear her to compete. She also missed weight for that bout. Earlier in 2024, she pulled out of her fight against Rose Namajunas due to health issues.

Thankfully, with the UFC supporting her recovery, Maycee Barber looked strong in her most recent fight. Now, she will face Alexa Grasso in a rematch this March as she pushes closer to a title shot. The 27-year-old dreams big and aims to lock in a spot on the biggest fight card of the year this summer.

‘The Future’ wants a spot on the UFC White House event

Dana White hasn’t started putting together the UFC White House card yet, but every fighter on the roster wants in. And why not? After all, everyone has their own reason, as this will mark the first time in history that sports will cross over with politics, reportedly on President Donald Trump’s birthday. Big names like Sean O’Malley and Justin Gaethje have already announced their interest, and now Maycee Barber is also targeting a spot.

With a seven-fight winning streak, ‘The Future’ can secure her place on the card if she beats No. 3-ranked Alexa Grasso in March at UFC Seattle. Furthermore, a win could set her up to challenge champion Valentina Shevchenko, and Barber wants that opportunity badly.

“Right now, I’m pretty much healthy, so I’m just going to be ready… had such a long layoff, and I don’t want another one… I want to be back in camp, preparing for another fight. I just want to be ready. It would be great to be ready to fight Grasso… and then turn around and fight at the White House,” Maycee Barber told MMA Fighting before her fight against Alexa Grasso was booked.

With hopes of landing a spot on the year’s biggest fight card, can Dana White and the UFC trust ‘The Future’, given her history of pulling out of fights? It’s a similar situation to Jon Jones, who UFC didn’t want on the card despite his legendary status. Drop your thoughts below.