Rivalries: Aspen Ladd

Aspen Ladd’s best-laid plans include the promise of a seven-figure payday. The jury remains out on whether or not she can execute them.

The 28-year-old Californian will kick off her women’s featherweight campaign under the Professional Fighters League banner when she takes on Olena Kolesnyk in a featured PFL 2 attraction on Friday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. Ladd has lost three of her past five bouts after starting her career a perfect 8-0. She last competed at the 2022 PFL Championships, where she eked out a split decision over former Bellator MMA titleholder Julia Budd on Nov. 25.

As Ladd zeroes in on her forthcoming battle with Kolesnyk at 145 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped chart her course to this point:

Tonya Evinger

Ladd passed what was at the time her most difficult test to date and did so with flying colors when she put away the former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder with first-round ground-and-pound as part of the UFC 229 undercard on Oct. 6, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Evinger succumbed to blows 3:26 into Round 1. Ladd sprawled out of a takedown, assumed top position and advanced to the back. Sharp elbows and damaging punches did the rest. Statistical data told a tale of utter domination across a little more than three minutes, as Ladd connected with 50 significant strikes and absorbed only nine in return.

Sijara Eubanks

The resourceful Ladd needed every bit of her grit and guile when she called upon takedowns, ground-and-pound and a near submission to claim a unanimous decision over “The Ultimate Fighter 26” finalist in their featured UFC Fight Night 152 prelim on May 18, 2019 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. Scores were 30-26, 29-27 and 29-28. Eubanks appeared to win a majority of the standup exchanges but too often found herself in disadvantageous positions. Ladd executed a takedown in the second round, achieved full mount and transitioned to the back before making her move on a rear-naked choke. Eubanks escaped, only to be met with ferocious ground-and-pound. Round 3 took place entirely on the feet, the two women uncorking punches without much regard for defense. Ladd closed the distance late, cut off her rival’s path to a Hail Mary knockout and then threw caution to the wind in the final 10 seconds. They stood toe to toe and let their hands fly, though neither woman gained a discernible advantage, the crowd roaring its approval.

Germaine de Randamie

“The Iron Lady” made certain Ladd’s first turn on the Ultimate Fighting Championship marquee went about as poorly as possible when she unleashed her lethal hands in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 155 headliner on July 13, 2019 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. De Randamie closed the deal just 16 seconds into Round 1. Ladd stepped into range with the Dutch muay thai stylist and paid the price. De Randamie floored her with a clean right cross, moved in with follow-up punches and prompted referee Herb Dean to intervene. With that, Ladd was undefeated no longer.

Norma Dumont

An educated jab, stellar takedown defense and unwavering tactical commitment carried the Brazilian to a unanimous decision over Ladd in the UFC Fight Night 195 main event on Oct. 16, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Dumont swept the scorecards with 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 marks from the cageside judges. A short-notice substitution for the injured Holly Holm, Ladd was plagued by inactivity and seemingly stuck between phases throughout the 25-minute encounter. Dumont outlanded her by a 113-86 margin in total strikes and connected with nearly twice as many significant strikes (65-33) across five tepid rounds. She also denied all five of Ladd’s attempted takedowns—a development that allowed her to further explore and exploit her advantages on the feet.