Aspen Ladd signs multi-fight deal with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing
Former UFC bantamweight contender Aspen Ladd has signed a multi-fight deal with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing, the promotion announced Wednesday. The 31-year-old from Pioneer, Calif. climbed as high as No. 2 in the UFC rankings during her run with the promotion and owns a 12-5 MMA record across stints with the UFC, Bellator, PFL, BKFC, and Invicta FC.
Ladd already dipped into bare knuckle competition last fall, stopping Shyanne Bitliff at BKFC 84 on DAZN. That knockout convinced BKB to bring her aboard for multiple fights under their Trigon format. "I'm excited for this next chapter and the opportunity to compete in BKB," Ladd said in the release, per MMA Mania. "Bare knuckle boxing brings out a different level of intensity and authenticity, and that's something that really appeals to me as a fighter."
Ladd's UFC run included Harrison, Pennington clashes
During her UFC tenure, Ladd shared the cage with current champion Kayla Harrison and former titleholders Raquel Pennington and Germaine de Randamie. BKB CEO David Tetreault called her "exactly the kind of athlete we want," pointing to her reputation as one of the toughest competitors in combat sports and her aggressive, forward-fighting style as a natural fit for bare knuckle.
BKB has not announced a date or opponent for Ladd's debut under the new contract. The promotion's next card is BKB 55 in Cardiff, Wales on June 27.
Photo: MMAnytt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
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