For the second week in a row, this weeks UFC card will be headlined by a female fight, this time between Norma Dumont and Aspen Ladd at UFC Vegas 40. Last week’s UFC Vegas 39 headliner between Marina Rodriguez and Mackenzie Dern provided the fight of the night and we can only hope for more of the same on Saturday night.
Ladd steps into this one on short notice, with Dumont facing the biggest test of her short career to date in her first headline slot.
Initially scheduled to face former champion and multiple time challenger, Holly Holm, Norma Dumont will now have to adapt her gameplan for the UFC Vegas 40 main event. The well-rounded Brazillian only holds a UFC record of 2-1, with an overall record of just 6-1.
A loss in her debut versus Megan Anderson saw Dumont’s UFC career not get off to the greatest start. With that being said, she bounced back effectively against Ashlee Evans-Smith at bantamweight (although she did miss weight weighing in at 139.5lbs) next time out.
Versus Evans-Smith, Dumont’s speed and power really showed. She rocked her opponent multiple times, got her timing down early and allowed her counter striking to dictate the fight. We saw good clinch defence from Dumont, which is something that she will have inevitably drilled for her potential Holly Holm bout. This will pay dividends against Aspen Ladd who favours the ground game.
With a victory against Ladd, Dumont positions herself at the very top of the featherweight division, being the only real contender for Amanda Nunes’ title.
She would be 2-0 at the weight with a victory, having defeated Felicia Spencer last time out. With no other contenders at 145lbs, there is a huge opportunity for Dumont at UFC Vegas 40. Aspen Ladd steps up on short notice to face Dumont in the main event of UFC Vegas 40.
Ladd hasn’t had a fight since December 2019, however, she’s been in fight camp consistently since May 2021. She was arranged to face Macy Chiasson, however, Chiasson had to withdraw. They were rescheduled for the UFC’s October 2nd card, however, on the day of weigh-ins, she missed weight and wasn’t medically cleared to fight. The fight was consequently scrapped.
