Aspen Ladd issues statement following loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 273

UFC fighter Aspen Ladd has sent out a statement to her fans after falling to defeat against Raquel Pennington at UFC 273.

Last Saturday night at UFC 273, Aspen Ladd fell short in her return to bantamweight as she suffered a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Raquel Pennington. The loss dropped her pro MMA record to 9-3 and marked her third defeat in a four-fight span, leaving many to wonder where her future lies.

After Pennington came out and criticized the work of her opponent’s corner, which was followed by fans throwing shade at Ladd on social media, Aspen responded with the following sentiments.

Aspen Ladd’s response to her loss at #UFC273, via her Instagram. pic.twitter.com/1ElLg8HlFu

— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) April 11, 2022

“I fell short last night. Felt good and well prepared, bit completely on me I didn’t push the pace enough. Some improvements have been made, now I just need to get back to the little baby fighter that functioned off of pure spite and aggression. Coupled with the tools I now have. To those who have been kind and awesome (in person and on here) thank you and to the trolls that come out of the woodwork to s***on people in there low moments…sincerely f*** you. Onto the next. Bodies good, took no damage, here’s to a quick turn around @ufc @mickmaynard2 @danawhite”

Ladd was once considered to be a future title challenger and at the age of just 27, there’s every chance she can still get back into that kind of space. Alas, it’s going to take a lot of rebuilding for her to try and work her way back to the top, and it may even require some alterations to her camp.

Do you expect to see Aspen Ladd back in the Octagon by the end of the summer? What do you think about the trolls she’s been dealing with?