Holly Holm out of UFC Vegas 40 main event, Aspen Ladd in as replacement against Norma Dumont
Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm is out of her UFC Vegas 40 main event against Norma Dumont and will…
Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm is out of her UFC Vegas 40 main event against Norma Dumont and will be replaced by third-ranked 135-pound fighter Aspen Ladd.
The news regarding Holm (33-2-3) being removed from her headlining fight in Las Vegas, Nev. on Oct. 16, was first reported Wednesday night on veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani’s Substack page.
Holly Holm out of UFC Vegas 40 headliner, Aspen Ladd in vs Norma Dumont
“Per sources, Holly Holm is out of the headliner fight versus Norma Dumont due to a knee injury. … Holm, according to sources, is hoping to return to action by the end of 2021,” Helwani wrote.
Aspen Ladd weighs 137. #UFCVegas38 pic.twitter.com/FCOQCMTTjN
— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) October 1, 2021
An hour later, ESPN then reported that the promotion had already found their replacement in Ladd (9-1). The highly ranked bantamweight was supposed to compete last weekend at UFC Vegas 38. However, a difficult weight cut that included two failed attempts to make the grace weight led to her matchup with Macy Chiasson to be scrapped from the card.
The 26-year-olds weight miss was quite a scene, as she was shaky standing on the scale, and her second attempt at making weight required removing all of her clothes. Some in the MMA community, including former 135-pound champion Miesha Tate, claimed she tried to “cheat” in her second unsuccessful attempt to make the 136-grace weight.
It’s one thing to miss weight, it’s another thing to try and cheat the scale and use every excuse in the book to not weigh in properly. Everyone saw you cheat and still came in a lb over. I bet you were every bit of 139. https://t.co/VyOWcfTMCv
— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 3, 2021
The UFC Vegas 40 main event will be a featherweight bout, and Ladd’s first booking at that weight in the Octagon. Considering her difficulties in make weight — she also missed weight for a bout in 2018 — a successful performance next weekend could lead to a permanent move to 145-pounds.
Ladd is 4-1 in the Octagon, with her lone loss coming in July 2019 to former featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie.
Brazil’s Dumont (6-1) is on a two-fight win streak and last fought in May. Beating former featherweight title challenger Felicia Spencer by split-decision. This will be her and Ladd’s first main event bouts in the promotion.
