Irene Aldana Vs. Aspen Ladd Targeted For UFC 273

The UFC aims to match Irene Aldana with Aspen Ladd in April.

According to ESPN Deportes, the fight hasn’t been completed yet, but it’s in the works. The fight will be added to UFC 273 if it is declared official.

This fight puts two of the best bantamweights against one another. Aldana is rated No. 3 in the official standings of the division, while Ladd is No. 4.

A win for either fighter would put them closer to the title picture, which recently changed after Julianna Peña was crowned the new champion of the division.

Ladd’s prospective booking might mark her return to the bantamweight division, where she hasn’t competed since late 2019.

Ladd’s most recent fight was a no-show at featherweight, where she lost by decision to Norma Dumont. She had to pull out of a fight in early December after feeling ill while trying to lose weight to the bantamweight limit.

Ladd’s fight in the fall brought an end to a two-year period where she had been pulled from four contests. One of the matches was thrown out due to her opponent’s injury. Another was cancelled in 2020 after she tore her ACL and MCL.

Aldana is currently riding high after defeating Yana Kunitskaya in a July finish.

Before that, she was defeated by Holly Holm, who is now ranked No. 2 in the world, in a five-round decision. Aldana has fought at bantamweight throughout her UFC career, winning six fights and losing four times.