Aspen Ladd released from UFC roster following latest weight miss

Aspen Ladd has been released from the UFC roster after a seven-fight run with the promotion.

UFC officials confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old fighter is coming off back-to-back losses to Raquel Pennington and Norma Dumont, but her release comes after she failed to make weight for a recently scheduled fight against Sara McMann at UFC Vegas 60.

Ladd hit the scale at 138 pounds, two pounds over the limit for a non-title bantamweight fight, and the bout with McMann was scrapped from the card. UFC President Dana White indicated afterward that the promotion was addressing the issue, though he didn’t say whether Ladd would be released.

Throughout her UFC career, Ladd has struggled with making weight, and she’s had three separate bouts cancelled when she was unable to hit the bantamweight limit for her fights.

Ahead of her bout against Germaine de Randamie in 2019, Ladd was visibly trembling when stepping onto the scale, though she made weight for the fight. Ladd ultimately suffered a 16-second knockout loss, but she stated she felt physically fine for the fight despite concerns raised over her weight cut.

The California State Athletic Commission later suspended her bantamweight license after she gained 18 percent of her total body weight between weigh-ins and the fight.

After failing to make weight for her scheduled bout against Macy Chiasson in 2021, Ladd was pulled from the card due to concerns over her health. She was then booked in a featherweight bout against Dumont and lost by decision.

This latest incident led to another fight cancellation and ultimately her exit from the UFC.

Once considered a promising prospect in the UFC’s bantamweight division, Ladd’s run with the organization comes to an end with an overall 4-3 record.