Ladd Says MVP Should Lead PFL Merger

Former Bellator featherweight Aspen Ladd believes MVP MMA should take the lead in its merger with the Professional Fighters League, citing PFL's mismanagement of the Bellator acquisition as a cautionary tale.

Ladd, who competed under the Bellator banner after PFL absorbed the promotion in 2023, told Bare Knuckle Bowker that PFL bungled the women's 145-pound division when the two organizations combined. "They ran it into the ground," she said, per BJPENN.com. "Their champions are not fighting for months and months and months. They completely killed off that weight class, which was obviously not great."

Why Ladd Backs MVP MMA Over PFL

The 31-year-old, who is set to make her BKB debut against Bianca Daimoni at BKB 58 in Miami on August 29, praised MVP's approach to fighter relations and said the company has advanced women's combat sports more than anyone since Ronda Rousey entered the UFC. She credited MVP with a partnership mindset that contrasts with PFL's track record. "I think as long as MVP has the reins there, I think it's a very good thing," Ladd said.

Ladd acknowledged that PFL showed promise early in her tenure, particularly with its tournament format, but said the promotion's performance deteriorated after the Bellator merger. She noted that PFL has since installed new leadership but said she has had no communication with the current ownership group.

The fighter gave the merged entity room to prove itself going forward, saying "we'll see how it goes" when asked about her expectations for the combined promotion.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — MVP MMA should “have the reins” in PFL merger, per BKB 58 fighter who was part of Bellator merger: “They ran it into the ground”