UFC on ESPN 6 results: Maycee Barber knocks out Gillian Robertson in first round, calls out Paige VanZant

Maycee Barber has been touted as one of the brightest prospects in the UFC, and she lived up to that reputation with arguably her best performance to date on Friday night in Boston at UFC on ESPN 6.

The 21-year-old flyweight shrugged off an early takedown from Gillian Robertson and then made her pay on the feet with a barrage of punches that forced a stop to the contest at just 3:04 into the first round.

“I have a lot of respect for Gillian,” Barber said after her third straight win in the UFC. “Her strength wasn’t anything I haven’t felt before. I just felt good overall.”

What started as a striking exchange on the feet led to Robertson attempting to pull guard and then transitioning to a single leg takedown attempt as she looked to take Barber into her world on the ground.

Unfortunately for Robertson, Barber was able to resist the takedown as well as the subsequent clinch work before separating to begin working her potent striking attack.

Once Barber got some distance, she unloaded with a huge elbow that clipped the top of Robertson’s head and put her on wobbly legs almost immediately.

With Robertson backing up against the cage, Barber smelled blood in the water and just unleashed a series of punches in rapid-fire succession that continued to chip away at the former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor until the referee had seen enough.

While she never toppled over, Robertson was just eating shots, and Barber obviously wasn’t slowing down, which led to the stoppage in the opening round.

Following the win, Barber already had a name in mind for her next opponent after exchanging words with fellow flyweight Paige VanZant in recent interviews.

“The only thing I know is Paige VanZant is waiting for a call,” Barber shouted to the Boston crowd. “Paige VanZant, I’m gonna give you a call. Are you going to answer or not?”

With one fight remaining on her current UFC contract, VanZant has said she plans on fighting out her current deal before testing free agency but it remains to be seen if she wants Barber to serve as that opponent before she looks towards the future.