Aspen Ladd has released her first statement following her UFC Vegas 40 main event loss to Norma Dumont.
After a botched weight cut at UFC Vegas 38, Ladd stepped in on short notice to replace an injured Holly Holm. Despite looking visibly distraught on the scale, the former bantamweight quickly returned when she was given the chance to headline the UFC Vegas 40 show. The fight saw Dumont utilize a crisp jab to great success. In the first three rounds, most of the action was dictated by Dumont and her fluid movement.
While Ladd’s featherweight debut did not go as planned, it remains to be seen which weight class Ladd will stick with moving forward. The 26-year-old contender released her first statement on Instagram since taking the second loss of her career.
“Not my night. Congrats to my opponent. We will be back better. In the mean time I finally got to get back in there after nearly 2 years. Now it’s time to take a step back, take a breath, and get back to fighting and feeling like myself again. On to the next.” Aspen Ladd posted.
In between rounds, many became concerned after seeing Ladd’s corner implement some aggressive tactics to get their fighter to take more risks during the fight. While her coach Jim West has been widely criticized, the seasoned mentor later apologized after the fight and admitted he was doing what he thought was best in the moment. It’s important to note that Ladd was returning from a nearly 2-year long layoff.
Previously, in her fight against Yana Kunitskaya, Ladd was implored aggressively by her corner to pursue the finish, and shortly after, the California native indeed put the finishing touches on the Russian athlete. With the prior actions of Ladd as evidence, perhaps the coach was wrongly criticized in the first place. Nonetheless, the story of the night was Dumont and her silent rise as a viable featherweight contender.
Check out what the pros had to say following Aspen Ladd vs. Norma Dumont!
