Aspen Ladd isn’t impressed with the resumes of PFL champions Larissa Pacheco and Kayla Harrison.
On Friday past, Ladd made her debut with the PFL after being cut from the UFC due to missing weight on numerous occasions. The 28-year-old made a successful start to life in her new home with a split decision over Julia Budd.
Despite edging a close fight on the judges’ scorecards, Ladd firmly believes she’s miles ahead of the most accomplished females on the PFL roster, Larissa Pacheco and Kayla Harrison.
Aspen Ladd compares her resumes to PFL champions
“I think Larissa has progressed incredibly,” Ladd said following her victory over Budd. “She’s done very well with her striking.
“I think Kayla has been the queen for a long time. But if you look at either one of their resumes, it’s absolutely nothing compared to the people that I have fought and have come in fighting. So, you have different levels of experience with different levels of opponents.”
The world of mixed martial arts was shocked during Friday’s women’s lightweight final. Pacheco handed Harrison her first career loss in MMA, which will most defiantly be among the talks for upset of the year.
Although dominating her past opponents, Harrison has faced major criticism for the level of the females she’s fought. Ladd joining the promotion has massively boosted the standard of women in the company.
After being forced to move up a weight class after struggling to make the bantamweight limit, Ladd enjoyed the experience of competing healthy and up a weight division.
Ladd talks fighting at a new weight
“Elated,” she said. “I went through some serious health struggles, not just my knee the last couple of years, like, it was bad. Auto-immune stuff, lost all my hair. This little shaved down [hair] is not because I wanted to – it was because I had nothing left. And just getting healthy again and feeling good and being unable to live and fight and do what I love and not feel like crap. It’s been years of a lot of difficult stuff, and it’s just a huge relief.”
After three rounds with Budd, Ladd believed she had done enough to secure her first victory under the promotion. However, she also knew you’re at risk when leaving the result in the hands of the judges.
“At the end of any fight like that, there’s always doubt,” she said. “I felt that I did enough, absolutely, but it’s still a frustration situation. She’s a very tough opponent, and you never know until they call out your name. So, of course, it was nerve-racking, but did I think I did enough? Yes.”
Do you think Aspen Ladd will have a successful career fighting under the PFL?
