Tag: Aspen Ladd

UFC on ESPN 7 post-event facts: Jairzinho Rozenstruik joins record books with late TKO

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 7, which saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik beat Alistair Overeem in Washington, D.C.

The UFC returned to Washington, D.C., on Saturday for the first time since 2011 with UFC on ESPN 7, which took place at Capital One Arena. The 12-fight lineup aired on ESPN following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.

A new heavyweight contender emerged in the main event when [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) got his fourth consecutive victory since joining the promotion earlier this year with a come-from-behind TKO of [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in the fifth round of their matchup.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 7.

* * * *

General

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UFC on ESPN 7 marked the third event in UFC history to feature two draws. UFC 22 and UFC 216 were the others.

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $177,000.

Debuting fighters went 2-2 at the event.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 7 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN 7 drew an announced attendance of 10,816 for a live gate of $932,593.20.
1
Betting favorites went 9-1 on the card. Two fights ended in a draw.

Betting favorites improved to 21-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:21:07.

Main card

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Rozenstruik earned his second UFC victory in a 35-day stretch.

Rozenstruik’s four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Rozenstruik has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

Rozenstruik’s knockout at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 marked the third latest stoppage in UFC history behind Demetrious Johnson’s win (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC 186 and Yair Rodriguez’s victory (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC Fight Night 139.

Overeem’s 14 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.

Overeem’s 12 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.

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[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight to multiple draws.

[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has completed at least one takedown in six of her seven UFC appearances.

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[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) improved to 1-2 since he returned to competition from a nearly three-year layoff in March 2019. He earned his first victory since January 2016.

Rothwell has earned 34 of his 37 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his seven UFC wins.

[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to September 2017.

Struve has suffered all seven of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

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[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned seven of her nine career victories by stoppage. That includes three of her four UFC wins.

Ladd’s three knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied with Ronda Rousey and Germaine de Randamie for second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (six).

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

Kunitskaya has suffered four of her five career losses by stoppage. Both of her UFC defeats have come by knockout.

Simon (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Preliminary card

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[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) improved to 9-6 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

Means has earned 24 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 11 UFC wins.

[autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) fell to 2-6 in his past eight fights dating back to May 2015.

[autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by submission.

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Mitchell (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) earned the second Twister submission victory in UFC history. Chan Sung Jung also accomplished the feat.

Mitchell has earned all of his career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.

[autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 10-7 UFC) fell to 0-2 since he returned from a 4.5-year layoff in June.

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[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all 12 of her career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) improved to 18-1 in his past 19 fights dating back to March 2015. He’s won his past 13 bouts.

[autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag] (15-10 MMA, 5-7 UFC) fell to 5-8 in his past 13 career fights dating back to January 2012.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

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Aspen Ladd says blast from her corner powered her to victory at UFC DC: ‘My coach lit me up’

Aspen Ladd says her coaches’ pep talk before the final round proved crucial in her third-round TKO win over Yana Kunitskaya.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] knew things were pretty close when she returned to her corner at the end of the second round of her fight with [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 7.

But if there was any doubt over what she had to do next, her coaches made absolutely clear with a blistering pep talk.

The strong words in the corner clearly had the desired effect. Ladd (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) stormed out for the final round and picked up a TKO finish just 33 seconds after the restart.

“My coach lit me up,” Ladd said after the fight at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. “It was the third round of a very close fight. He’s like, ‘You’d better (expletive) finish.’ Come out hot, basically. Come out and put my foot on the gas. And I listened.

“It was a close fight and she’s a very tough opponent. I was doing all I felt I could at the time. But I could do a lot better. (I) decided to shake it out and listen, and when I did things went very well.”

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Ladd has been considered one of the most talented prospects in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division for the last couple of years. But just as she looked to be breaking into true contender status, she had a rough weight cut and was finished in just 16 seconds by Germaine de Randamie in July.

The defeat, Ladd’s first as a professional, raised question marks about her future as a bantamweight. She faced a barrage of questions about her weight and well-being at 135 pounds ahead of her fight with Kunitskaya (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC).

But Ladd made weight successfully without the drama of six months ago, and produced a superb third-round performance to stop the Russian contender and position herself among the division’s best.

Despite coming in off a loss, Ladd said she never felt a lack of confidence heading into the match.

“It’s not a lack of confidence in yourself – at least, that’s not what I felt,” she said. “It’s a disappointment. You learn a lot from it. But it’s still what I do, and it’s what I do at a high level. I know I’m good and capable of doing this. So it’s not really a confidence thing as much as it feels like ‘I’m home’ thing.”

Now back in the win column, and with her weight-cutting worries seemingly behind her, the future looks exciting for Ladd. But she knows that if she isn’t quite fulfilling her potential inside the cage, she will have her coaches to call on for a kick up the backside when she needs it.

“If I was a little bit slow, as I was, and it’s going into the third round of a close fight, you’ll probably hear that every single time,” she said. “I’ve been chewed out pretty good before. That one wasn’t … I mean, it was decent.”

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UFC on ESPN 7 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $30.5 million

UFC on ESPN 7 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

WASHINGTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $177,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 7 took place at Capital One Arena in Washington. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 7 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $5,000
vs. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag]: $15,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,880,000
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,514,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 7 with plenty of soundtracks and Kanye West

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 7 went with as their backing tracks in Washington, D.C.

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UFC on ESPN 7 results: Aspen Ladd bounces back from first loss, stops Yana Kunitskaya

Aspen Ladd bounced back from her first pro loss in impressive fashion at UFC on ESPN 7.

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] wasn’t going to let the judges decide her fate on Saturday night.

The young UFC bantamweight scored a TKO win over Yana Kunitskaya in the main card of UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C. Ladd (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) stopped Kunitskaya (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at the 0:33 mark of the third round to bounce back from her first professional defeat back in July.

The first two rounds of the fight were very competitive. In the first, Kunitskaya controlled the action in the clinch and against the cage, but was taken down halfway through the round. Ladd then worked to get Kunitskaya’s back and managed to land ground-and-pound, but was then reversed and put on her back with a few seconds remaining.

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The second round went similar to the first. Kunitskaya controlled a good portion of the fight by using her strength and clinch work. Ladd took down Kunitskaya with about a minute and a half left in the round but was unable to do much damage, as the Russian fighter did a good job tying up Ladd.

In the final round, Ladd came out looking to finish the fight. She connected with a big left had just seconds into the round. She then dropped Kunitskaya and ended things with heavy ground-and-pound.

Ladd successfully bounced back from her first professional defeat, to Germaine de Randamie at UFC on ESPN+ 13.. The 24-year-old fighter remains one of the most promising contenders in her division.

The fight was part of the UFC on ESPN 7 main card at Capital One Arena. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 7 results include:

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UFC on ESPN 7 predictions: Overeem or Rozenstruik in heavyweight clash in D.C.?

Check out our staff’s picks for the UFC on ESPN 7 main card in Washington, D.C., featuring Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Overeem
vs.
Rozenstruik		 Calvillo
vs.
Rodriguez		 Rothwell
vs.
Struve		 Kunitskaya
vs.
Ladd		 Stamann
vs.
Yadong		 Font
vs.
Simon
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 203-123 (62%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik
(56%)		 calvillo2019
Calvillo
(66%)		 rothwell2019
Rothwell
(53%)		 ladd2019
Ladd
(80%)		 yadong2019
Yadong
(64%)		 font2019
Font
(51%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 119-65 (65%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 115-64 (64%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 209-117 (64%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 207-119 (64%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 kunitskaya2019
Kunitskaya		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 206-120 (63%)
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 204-122 (63%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 203-123 (62%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 overeem2019
Overeem		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 simon2019
Simon
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 203-123 (62%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 200-126 (61%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 141-69 (60%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 193-133 (59%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 rodriguez2019
Rodriguez		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 yadong2019
Yadong		 font2019
Font
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 131-103 (56%)		 overeem2019
Overeem		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 rothwell2019
Rothwell		 ladd2019
Ladd		 stamann2019
Stamann		 font2019
Font
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 172-154 (53%)		 rozenstruik2019
Rozenstruik		 calvillo2019
Calvillo		 struve2019
Struve		 kunitskaya2019
Kunitskaya		 stamann2019
Stamann		 simon2019
Simon

The UFC is back in the nation’s capital city this week for the first time since 2011, and heavyweights top the bill.

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) takes on the unbeaten [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) at heavyweight. The fight is a virtual pick’em with the oddsmakers, and it’s close with our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well. Overeem has the slightest possible edge at 7-6 in our picks.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) badly missed weight for her women’s strawweight bout against [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC), but the fight will go on. Rodriguez is a slight favorite at the sports books, and she has a slight edge at 7-6 in our picks.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) in a battle of heavyweight veterans. Rothwell has a slight betting edge around -150, but he has a massive 12-1 lead in the picks with only one of our staff members taking the 7-foot Struve.

Another picks blowout belongs to [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in her women’s bantamweight fight against [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Ladd is a -160 favorite, but has an 11-2 lead in the picks.

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is more than a 2-1 favorite in his bantamweight fight against [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), making him the heaviest favorite on the main card. But Yadong has just a 7-6 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is just a slight favorite against [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in their bantamweight fight. But Font pulled off a big 11-2 rout in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Rozenstruik (56%), Calvillo (66 percent), Rothwell (53 percent), Ladd (80 percent), Yadong (64 percent) and Font (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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6 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN 7

The UFC hits our nation’s capital Saturday with a card that features several fights worth your time.

[jwplayer n56Adg0F-FLu19iir]

After a two-week break, the UFC is back in business. And the company returns to action with a slate of fights worth checking out.

A heavyweight matchup between the ageless [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and undefeated [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] headlines the final UFC on ESPN card of 2019. The main event is just one of a string of fights that might not have the star power of the month’s biggest event, UFC 245 with it’s three title fights Dec. 14, but nonetheless have meaningful consequences for the career trajectories of the participants and rankings implications for their respective weight classes. 

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place Saturday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Without further ado, then, here are six burning questions as the road winds toward Saturday night in our nation’s capital. 

Can Jairzinho Rozenstruik make the most of his big opportunity? 

We suspect this isn’t the way the undefeated Surinamese kickboxer wanted to get his first UFC main-event opportunity. Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC)
stepped up and accepted the bout with Overeem after Walt Harris had to drop out due to the disappearance of his stepdaughter, who was unfortunately found dead last week.

While everyone’s thoughts remain with the Harris family in its time of sorrow, the sport continues on, and Rozenstruik steps into his chance to make a statement that he’s truly arrived.

Rozenstruik has already demonstrated his veteran kickboxing skills have transferred over nicely from the ring to the cage, a point he’s hammered home each time out so far in the UFC octagon. Rozenstruik has won all three of his UFC fights via KO/TKO, with none of his fights lasting six minutes and his most recent triumph being a 29-second knockout of former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski in the intense spotlight of UFC 244.

That’s all well and good, but what happens if he fights someone with the ability to wait him out and drag him into deeper waters? Overeem (45-17 MMA, 10-6 UFC) has gotten clipped a few times, too, but he’s one of the game’s craftiest and adaptable fighters, a cerebral competitor who is not likely to be goaded into many mistakes. A victory over Arlovski is nice on a resume, but he’s a clearly diminished fighter. A win over Overeem, however, would be a statement Rozenstruik is ready for this, and ready to join the elite mix. 

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UFC DC: Aspen Ladd says weight-cut questions are ‘kinda boring’ ahead of Yana Kunitskaya bout

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Aspen Ladd wants to move on from questions about her weight cut and claim victory over Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7.

WASHINGTON – UFC women’s bantamweight contender [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] says she has put her weight cutting dramas firmly behind her. She just wishes everyone else could do the same, too.

Ladd said she was feeling “pretty darned good” as she prepares for her final cut down to the 136-pound bantamweight limit for her fight with Russian Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7, and said she didn’t foresee any issues ahead of weigh-in day on Friday.

“We woke up at 143.4 (pounds), still hydrated,” she said at a Thursday media day. “We’ve gotta go cut after this and rest all day, and go heat off the rest if there is any.”

Ladd’s last interaction with the official scale wasn’t a happy occasion. Clearly in significant discomfort, Ladd successfully made weight for her bout against Germaine de Randamie at UFC on ESPN+ 13 in July. But she gained a whopping 18 pounds between weigh-in day and fight night, prompting the California State Athletic Commission to suspend her bantamweight license until she provides “extensive medical documentation” to prove she’s capable of fighting safely in the division.

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However, Ladd has no such barriers to competition elsewhere, and she is cleared and ready to fight at bantamweight this weekend. And, perhaps understandably following all the drama surrounding her recent weight cuts, she admitted she’s grown a little tired of the constant questions about her weight.

“It comes up a lot – frequently,” she said. “The last one was pretty rough, but I still made the weight, so it’s something I still get asked a lot. It’s kind of like a redundant question. Like, ‘How do you feel in fight week?’ You hear it 5 million times. So it’s kinda boring.”

Ladd says her confidence ahead of weigh-in day comes from a more integrated approach to her weight-management in the lead-up to fight week, citing the closer working relationship between her team and the sports scientists at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.

Now Ladd’s focus is firmly on claiming victory over Kunitskaya on Saturday night, and she says she won’t let her recent quick-fire TKO loss at the hands of de Randamie affect her confidence heading into the contest.

“I kind of look at this thing regardless as a marathon, not a sprint,” she said. “It’s a rough night, don’t get me wrong – it’s not fun. Nobody likes to lose, and this is your career, your job. But at the same time, you can’t get too headcase-y over it because at that point, it’s on to the next. You’ve gotta get ready and get back on the horse.”

Following her failed appeal against what she perceived to be an unfairly swift intervention by referee Herb Dean to stop her last contest, Ladd says she’s leaving the past in the past and focusing on the job in hand this weekend.

“I’ve put a lot of that behind me and out in the media if you want to go and find it, kinda thing. But it’s really not worth talking about at this point,” she said. “As far as when I have a fight, it’s the end of the world – nothing exists beyond it. So that’s the only point I’m trying to get to, because nothing matters after that. I need to go out and perform, and the next step in your life can start (after that).”

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