A big night for Aspen Ladd, Norma Dumont and women’s featherweight in the UFC

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The UFC has a number of monster gatherings on its program to shut out 2021. Prior to the yr is accomplished, we will have observed 6 much more title fights, as nicely as some blockbuster matchups such as Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler, Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards, Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez and Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori, just to identify a handful of.

Like any athletics league, having said that, not every single party can be the greatest 1 on the calendar, and Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas has fallen victim to a large amount of terrible luck.

This card was intended to characteristic former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, who seemed great in her first fight out of retirement again in July. Regretably, Tate was pulled from the occasion just after she analyzed positive for COVID-19. A further former champ, Holly Holm, stepped into the key function, only to drop off very last week thanks to a knee injuries.

With Holly Holm pressured to fall out due to injury, Aspen Ladd ways up to 145 lbs . on late recognize to choose on Norma Dumont in Saturday’s main celebration.

Ladd’s Oct. 2 bantamweight bout in opposition to Macy Chiasson was canceled soon after Ladd was shaky at the weigh-in. Dumont is in lookup of her third straight gain.

UFC Combat Night: Ladd vs. Dumont
Saturday, Oct. 16, UFC Apex, Las Vegas
• Most important card: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• Prelims: 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Subscribe to ESPN+ to get special live UFC gatherings, weigh-ins and much more Dana White’s Contender Sequence and much more special MMA content.

The UFC scrambled to set together a 5-round featherweight headliner amongst Aspen Ladd (9-1) and Norma Dumont (6-1). Clearly, the matchup does not have the exact same name recognition as it would have with possibly Tate or Holm concerned, but it really is an important combat in women’s MMA for several explanations.

For starters, look at this: 1-1 and 3-2. Individuals are the UFC featherweight data of the final two girls who challenged for the title at 145 lbs .. This division barely exists. It is, by much, the shallowest fat course in the UFC. It does not choose a great deal to receive a title shot in this article. Dumont is 2-1 as a UFC featherweight. Ladd is earning her 145-pound debut. The winner of this main celebration would likely be, at most, one gain away from a date with winner Amanda Nunes. That by yourself will make it a very related fight.

One more purpose to observe this primary occasion is for the probable the two of these women have proven. Ladd is only 26 and already retains 4 wins in the UFC’s bantamweight division. She has struggled to make the 135-pound fat limit — in fact, she experienced a combat with Macy Chiasson canceled two months ago because she skipped body weight — but other than that, she’s proven flashes of talent that propose championship prospective. Dumont, 31, is battling regularly for, seriously, the very first time in her pro vocation, and is coming off a earn above previous title challenger Felicia Spencer.

This is not 1 of the more substantial major gatherings on the 2021 calendar, but it truly is a significant battle in terms of the progress of these two probable title contenders, and it could greatly impact the in close proximity to potential of Nunes, the female GOAT. Saturday’s lineup may well not be at the level of a UFC 268 or UFC 269, but the stakes are unquestionably significant for Ladd, Dumont and the featherweight division.

Saturday’s fights are on ESPN+, with the primary card setting up at 7 p.m. ET and prelims at 4:30 p.m.

ESPN Illustration

Figures matchup: 6 vs. 2

6: Knockouts by Ladd in her nine-win vocation. Including in her 1 submission, she has a 78% end rate.

2: Submissions by Dumont among her 6 wins. All of her other wins have come by final decision, placing her end amount at 33%.

Resources: ESPN Stats & Details and UFC Stats

ESPN Stats & Information

And the winner is …

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“This [bout] is variety of a past-minute switch,” claimed UFC featherweight Felicia Spencer, who shed a break up choice to Dumont in Could. “They have both equally been in teaching camp. Norma has been getting ready for a tall striker in Holm. Aspen has been planning for a striker in Chiasson, as effectively. Aspen has been planning for a person like Norma extra than Norma has been planning for someone like Aspen. As considerably as activity approach and what you’ve been undertaking to your overall body the last number of months, it is superior to be in the position Aspen is ideal now. Holly Holm is almost the reverse of what Aspen Ladd is, and Norma will have to contend with that.”

Check out out how Spencer and other authorities split down the major celebration and predict a winner.

Saturday’s comprehensive battle card

ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET
Women’s featherweight: Aspen Ladd vs. Norma Dumont
Heavyweight: Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe
Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Erick Gonzalez
Women’s flyweight: Manon Fiorot vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Men’s featherweight: Nate Landwehr vs. Ludovit Klein
ESPN+, 4:30 p.m. ET
Middleweight: Andrew Sanchez vs. Bruno Silva
Welterweight: Danny Roberts vs. Ramazan Emeev
Women’s flyweight: Crazy Godinez vs. Luana Carolina
Men’s bantamweight: Danaa Batgerel vs. Brandon Davis
Strawweight: Istela Nunes vs. Ariane Carnelossi

The most effective guess to make is ….

Norma Dumont (+120) vs. Aspen Ladd (-140)

Initially slated to fight Holly Holm in the featherweight key function, Dumont now welcomes Ladd, a bantamweight, into the division. This is a pretty difficult matchup for Ladd, as her initial fight in a new body weight course, and the timing of this battle would not do her any favors.

2 Associated

Ladd’s struggle on Oct. 2 against Macy Chiasson was cancelled thanks to her missing bodyweight. When she stepped on the scale, Ladd was shaking. And now, two week afterwards, staying questioned to leap up a excess weight class and combat a five-round principal party would seem like a very tricky endeavor.

If Ladd would like to demonstrate the planet she is the deserving preferred in this fight, there is only one particular route to victory in this article. She requirements to set Dumont on her back as early as achievable and do the job her ground and pound. Nevertheless, primarily based on Dumont’s last performance, I do not see that taking place. In her final outing, Dumont’s takedown defense in opposition to the relentless Felica Spencer was outstanding. She was capable to out-strike Spencer, regulate the narrative during the 3-spherical battle and get the most spectacular acquire of her profession. If she can abide by the exact blueprint on Saturday, I believe that Dumont will wander away with her third win in a row.

Pick: Norma Dumont at +120.

— Ian Parker, Finest Bets for UFC Struggle Night

How to watch the fights

Watch all of the fights on ESPN+. Download the ESPN Application

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You will find also FightCenter, which offers reside updates for every UFC card.

3 extra factors to know (from ESPN Stats & Info)

1. Previous UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski competes in his 36th UFC battle when he faces Carlos Felipe in the co-main occasion. The 36 fights set dos Santos third in UFC background, powering Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone. Miller is also on Saturday’s card, producing his UFC-history 38th look when he normally takes on the debuting light-weight Erick Gonzalez. Going into the weekend, this is the complete range of UFC fights for Miller and Arlovski: 72. Overall UFC appearances by the other 20 fighters on the card merged: 72.

Monday as a result of Friday, host Pablo Torre delivers you an within search at the most appealing stories at ESPN, as instructed by the top reporters and insiders on the world. Pay attention

2. France’s Manon Fiorot makes her third UFC overall look when she faces Mayra Bueno Silva. Fiorot has knockouts in equally of her UFC fights, and if she receives a different on Saturday, she will become the fourth girl in UFC background with three consecutive knockouts, joining Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg and Maycee Barber.

3. Loopy Godinez can make UFC heritage when she fights for the next time in seven times. Godinez faces Luana Carolina as a late substitute for Carolina’s unique opponent, Sijara Eubanks. Godinez received final weekend, tapping out Silvana Gomez Juarez in the to start with spherical. The present day-era report for shortest time between wins is 10 days by Khamzat Chimaev, who reached the feat past 12 months.

ESPN’s Jeff Wagenheim also contributed to this struggle preview.