In the early hours of April 2024, MMA fighter Maycee Barber confronted a drunk woman who was threatening her truck in Carlsbad, California. The incident, captured on video by YouTuber and CrossFit athlete Demi Bagby, showed the woman leaning on the vehicle and refusing to step away despite repeated requests.

Bagby, who was with Barber at the time, asked,

“Please stop touching my truck,”

to which the woman responded,

“Well you know what, I don’t think you really bought that,”

while still holding onto the truck’s door. The woman’s behavior escalated as she warned,

“Don’t touch me because I could bust you in your f**king face … I could beat both of your f**kng a**es, but I won’t.”

Both Bagby and Barber reacted with laughter, and Bagby challenged the woman by saying, “Do it… Try!!”

As the situation intensified, the intoxicated stranger taunted them further, demanding they remove their phones from her face and saying,

“Put your stupid, f**king phone. Get your phones out of my face.”

Bagby captioned the footage with,

“California wildin’, someone come get your mom.”

In another clip, she referred to the confrontation as

“THE REAL UFC 300 FT @MAYCEEBARBER.”

TMZ Sports later reported that Barber had driven five hours from Las Vegas to visit Bagby in Carlsbad, and the encounter occurred as they were searching for parking around midnight. Barber admitted she was ready to call UFC president Dana White if the situation worsened, even preparing a text explaining why she might face legal trouble.

The stranger was clearly unaware of Barber’s identity or background, spared only by the fighter’s calm approach. Had the woman followed through on her threats, the consequences likely would have been severe.

Why MMA Fighters Are Frequently Targeted by Criminals

Several well-known fighters, including Jon Jones, Sean Strickland, and Marlon “Chito” Vera, have experienced encounters with thieves and burglars who do not recognize them. Many of these incidents occur when fighters are away from their normal environments, making them appear as ordinary targets to criminals.

In 2020, Jon Jones famously chased a suspected car thief while armed with a shotgun, even detaining the individual with the help of his coaches until authorities arrived. This incident took place just hours before Jones’ victory over Shogun Rua.

The following year, Sean Strickland apprehended a suspect caught on his doorbell camera, holding the man at gunpoint on suspicion of attempting to steal his vehicle.

Strawweight fighter Polyana Viana also faced a dangerous situation when a man threatened her with an apparent fake gun and demanded her phone. She later recounted,

“He said, ‘Give me the phone. Don’t try to react, because I’m armed.’ Then he put his hand over [a gun], but I realized it was too soft.”

After overpowering him, Viana held the suspect in a chokehold and said,

“Then I sat him down in the same place we were before and said ‘now we’ll wait for the police’.”

In March 2025, Marlon “Chito” Vera was working on his truck when a burglar threatened him with a knife. Vera responded swiftly by drawing his shotgun and pointing it at the intruder, which was enough to end the confrontation without further violence.

These incidents emphasize the unpredictable dangers fighters can face outside the octagon. While they often possess strong situational awareness and self-defense skills, they also balance caution with understanding the potential legal ramifications of using force.

Other fighters, such as Justin Gaethje and Tim Kennedy, have similarly defended their homes and property, teaching would-be robbers hard lessons about the risks of targeting trained athletes.

Understanding the Broader Impact of Such Encounters

Maycee Barber’s experience highlights the tension and risk that professional fighters can face even during everyday activities. Despite their training and preparedness, such confrontations with untrained individuals can quickly become dangerous. Barber’s refusal to escalate the situation showed restraint, but her readiness to involve UFC leadership underscores how seriously these events can affect athletes’ safety and legal standing.

For the broader MMA community, these incidents serve as reminders of the unpredictable nature of public confrontations and the challenges fighters face in protecting themselves outside their sport. Increased awareness and caution remain vital as these athletes balance their public profiles with personal security.