The UFC announced on Friday that former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm was going to fight rising contender Aspen Ladd at UFC 235 in March. Sounds like a great fight, except... apparently it’s not actually finalized yet.
Holm’s manager Lenny Fresquez told MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi that this bout isn’t signed, sealed, and delivered despite the UFC’s “official” announcement.
Holm (12-4) is coming off an impressive and dominant unanimous decision win over Megan Anderson at UFC 225. Her last two fights have been at women’s featherweight, having taken Cris Cyborg the distance in a losing effort at UFC 219. The 37-year-old’s last bantamweight bout was a head kick KO of Bethe Correia in June 2017.
Ladd (7-0) has been sensational in her two UFC appearances, stopping both Lina Lansberg and former Invicta FC champion Tonya Evinger. At just 23 years old, she figures to be a future women’s MMA star, but she has had multiple problems making the bantamweight limit, so that’s something to keep in mind.
UFC 235 is set for March 2nd in Las Vegas, Nevada. The biggest fight on that card thus far is a rescheduled welterweight bout between Robbie Lawler and Ben Askren.