Tomorrow in the main event of UFC Vegas 40, we are going to see a rare headliner in the women’s featherweight division. One of the brightest prospects in the promotion Aspen Ladd (9-1) makes her return as she takes on Norma Dumont (6-1).
Ladd was supposed to fight last weekend at 135 pounds. However, she failed to make weight and ultimately the fight was called off. When Holly Holm fell out of this weekend’s main event, the UFC called Ladd and asked if she’d take this headlining spot at 145 pounds.
Without hesitation, Ladd accepted the opportunity. This will be Ladd’s first fight in just under two years. The last time we saw her was back in 2019 when she stopped Yana Kunitskaya. Ladd is one of the best prospects in the UFC‘s bantamweight division, but she’s always had trouble with weight.
Fighting at 145 pounds should be refreshing for the young star. Standing across from her tomorrow is going to be Norma Dumont. Dumont is 2-1 since joining the UFC and her lone loss came against Megan Anderson in her promotional debut.
Since that loss, she’s put together two consecutive wins. Her last win came against former title challenger Felicia Spencer by split decision. If Dumont is able to defeat Ladd tomorrow, she could have an argument as a deserving challenger in the UFC‘s shallow featherweight division.
UFC Vegas 40 Prediction
This main event at UFC Vegas 40 is going to come down to takedowns. It’s no secret what Aspen Ladd’s game plan is going to be tomorrow night. Ladd is going to try and close the distance in order to get Dumont to the mat.
If she’s able to do that, she can easily finish this fight. Ladd has some of the nastiest ground and pound out of any fighter on the roster male or female. If she gets on top of you, she will throw everything including the kitchen sink at you.
That said, if she can’t get it to the ground, she could be in for a rough night. I really like the striking especially at range of Dumont in this matchup. If she can defend the takedowns, I can easily see her picking apart Ladd from the outside.
I keep going back-and-forth on my prediction for this matchup at UFC Vegas 40. In a vacuum if both fighters were at their best and trained for this, I would pick Aspen Ladd. However, given the short-notice nature and the weight cut from last week, I like Dumont by decision.
Prediction: Norma Dumont by Unanimous Decision