Saturday night on the prelims of UFC 273, we are going to see an intriguing matchup in the bantamweight division. Top ten contenders will battle it out as Aspen Ladd (9-2) takes on former title challenger Raquel Pennington (13-8).
The last time we saw Ladd she was headlining a UFC Fight Night against Norma Dumont. It was a terrible performance where Ladd looked incredibly gun-shy and she lost a decision. That loss dropped her to 1-2 in her last three fights.
There was so much hype with Aspen Ladd in the UFC. However, shaky weight cuts and injuries have really derailed her. Maybe shake off the last fight as ring-rust and if that’s the case, she could be in for a big performance at UFC 273.
That being said, Raquel Pennington is ready to get back into the title picture. Rocky enters this fight on a three-fight winning streak and she’s taking this fight on short-notice hoping it gets her right back into the title picture at 135. If she does win, she’s perhaps in line for a title eliminator in her next fight.
UFC 273 Prediction
A lot of eyeballs are going to be on Aspen Ladd in this one. Many pegged her to be a future UFC champion and as mentioned above, a number of different things have gotten in the way of her achieving the success some thought she would.
There also seems to be a bit of a mental block with Ladd and when she unlocks it, she’s dangerous. However, when it’s locked, she’s tentative and unimpressive. She has to be unlocked to beat Raquel Pennington.
Ladd’s grappling is going to be key on Saturday night. If she can get this fight to the mat, she has a number of ways to win. However, if this fight stays on the feet, Pennington has a path to victory just by staying busy.
I’ve gone over this UFC 273 matchup a number of times and I actually like Raquel Pennington in this spot. Look, Aspen Ladd has the higher ceiling and if both fighters fight to the best of their ability, I’m picking Ladd. However, I find it hard to pick her right now with everything that has happened and I like Pennington to pick up her fourth straight.
Prediction: Raquel Pennington by Decision