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The women's bantamweight bout between Aspen Ladd and Sara McMann that was set to take place at the UFC Vegas 60 (September 17th, 2022) event has been canceled. Ladd weighed in at 138 pounds, which is 2 pounds above the non-title bantamweight bout limit of 136 pounds.
As reported by MMA Junkie's Nolan King, UFC officials have confirmed that the Ladd-McMann matchup has been scrapped from the UFC Vegas 60 aka UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song fight card.
Watch Ladd's failed weigh-in attempt in the video below:
It wasn't the first time Aspen Ladd missed weight for a scheduled bantamweight matchup. Ahead of her fight against Jessica Hoy in Invicta back in July 2016, Ladd weighed in at 138.1 pounds. The fight proceeded at catchweight, with Ladd winning via second-round TKO.
Additionally, before her bantamweight bout against Leslie Smith in April 2018 at a UFC Fight Night event, Ladd weighed in at 137.8 lbs. Smith refused to fight her at catchweight, and the bout was resultantly canceled.
Ladd also severely struggled to make the bantamweight limit for her fight against Germaine de Randamie in July 2019. After looking visibly drained and troubled at the weigh-ins, Ladd went on to lose the fight via first-round TKO. This marked the first loss of the 27-year-old's professional MMA career.
Furthermore, the CSAC (California State Athletic Commission) suspended Ladd's bantamweight license, as they found that she'd gained 18 percent of her weight between the weigh-ins and the De Randamie matchup. It was also emphasized that extensive medical documentation would be needed to clear the aforesaid suspension.
However, her struggles with cutting weight didn't stop there. Ahead of a fight against Macy Chiasson in October 2021, Aspen Ladd struggled to make weight yet again and ultimately weighed in at 137 pounds. The fight was canceled due to health concerns arising out of Ladd's weight cut. As noted in her latest battle with the scale, Ladd weighed in at 138 pounds for her fight against Sara McMann.
Is a featherweight move on the cards for Aspen Ladd?
While her matchup against Sara McMann has been scrapped from the upcoming UFC Vegas 60 fight card, it's unclear as to whether or not the UFC will rebook it for a future date. Intriguingly, Ladd has previously fought at flyweight and featherweight as well.
Given her history of missing weight for bantamweight matchups, it's entirely possible that the UFC could urge Aspen Ladd to compete in the featherweight division moving forward. Many in the MMA community have voiced their concerns about Ladd's extreme weight cuts and the dangers they pose to her. Presently, it's unclear as to what the future holds for the California-born fighter.
