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#2 Best: Ladd’s rush of violence nets her a big win

Aspen Ladd finished Yana Kunitskaya with a sudden rush of violence

The Women’s Bantamweight fight between Aspen Ladd and Yana Kunitskaya was probably the most dull on the main card – until the crazy third round finish from Ladd. Prior to that, the 24-year old Ladd seemed content to attempt to clinch with her Russian opponent, and it honestly wasn’t working – she couldn’t really get Kunitskaya to the ground and while the rounds were even, it seemed like anyone’s fight.

Ladd’s coach gave her a major motivational speech after the second round though, and it clearly worked; she came out with insane aggression in the third, decked ‘Foxy’ with a left hand and then finished her off with some savage ground-and-pound just seconds later. This was arguably an even better finish than her TKO of Tonya Evinger last year.

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Where does Ladd go from here? Well, her loss to Germaine de Randamie was bad, but there was an argument that it was an early referee stoppage, and of course ‘The Iron Lady’ is now about to get a title shot. One more win could well net Ladd a shot at Amanda Nunes – and with her ground-based assault she’d be an interesting match for ‘The Lioness’, meaning the UFC should aim for a fight between the two in 2020.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Anurag Mitra