Scheduled for April 9, Irene Aldana and Aspen Ladd are slated to fight inside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The bantamweight match-up was first reported by ESPN Deportes. After four canceled bouts through 2020-2021, Ladd was eager to make up for lost time in the cage. In her previous fight, Ladd was paired against Norma Dumont at 145-pounds. To the surprise of many, Ladd was picked apart by the boxing fundamentals of Dumont. Specifically, Dumont fired off her jab for much of the contest which held Ladd back from enacting her offense.
Ladd has struggled with the 136-pound weight limit in the past. In her expected bantamweight contest with Macy Chiasson, Ladd failed to make weight and nearly collapsed on the scale multiple times. Intrigue is mounting with fans who question if Ladd can still make the 136-pound limit safely.
A Brief Look At Irene Aldana & Aspen Ladd
Prior to enduring a unanimous decision loss to Dumont, Ladd had the attention of the entire division after earning an amazing finish against Yana Kunitskaya. In between the second and third round, Ladd appeared dejected in her corner until her coach, Jim West began to motivate her to pursue the finish. After heeding her coach’s instructions, Ladd earned a third-round TKO against Kunitskaya.
Irene Aldana is also known for her sharp striking abilities. The Mexico native has shown definite power in her hands and is crafty during striking exchanges. One of Aldana’s victories that raised alarms was when she managed to land a picture-perfect left-hook on Ketlen Vieira. Aldana picked up the first-round TKO at UFC 245 and has been a viable player at bantamweight ever since.
Aldana has also struggled with the bantamweight limit. In her last fight against Kunitskaya, Irene Aldana missed weight. In the end, Aldana would still earn the TKO victory, but many feel the win is marred by missing weight. With both athletes struggling to make the 136-pound limit, certainly, fans will be anticipating the weigh-ins almost as much as the actual fight at UFC 273 on April 9.
As of this writing, there is currently no main event announced for the April pay-per-view show. This will be the second time the UFC has returned to New York since the pandemic began in North America.
With the addition of Irene Aldana vs. Aspen Ladd, here is an updated lineup for the UFC 273 pay-per-view:
- Irene Aldana vs. Aspen Ladd
- Pat Sabatini vs. Gavin Tucker
Who is your early pick in this bantamweight contest?
