For the second time, a proposed booking between Kayla
Harrison and Julia Budd
has fallen through.
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As a result, Aspen Ladd
will step in a face Harrison at the
2023 PFL Championships on Nov. 24. According to a release from
the PFL, the bout was changed because “Budd refused to fulfill her
contractual obligation.” Further specifics were not given. While
Harrison vs. Budd was to slated to take place at featherweight, the
new pairing will be contested at a 150-pound catchweight. Harrison
was previously scheduled to face Budd during the 2022 PFL season
before the ex-Bellator champ withdrew from the bout.
Ladd has been in training as an alternate, according to the
release. The 28-year-old Folsom, California, native signed with the
PFL following a 4-3 stint in the UFC that included numerous issues
making weight. Ladd competed in the 2023 PFL season at
featherweight, where she dropped a majority decision to Olena
Kolesnyk in April before scoring a first-round submission of
Karolina
Sobek in June. Ladd also bested Budd in her league debut last
year.
A two-time PFL champion at lightweight, Harrison will be making her
first appearance of 2023. The two-time Olympic gold medalist had
her hopes of becoming a three-time PFL champion dashed last
November, when she was upset by Larissa
Pacheco. That is the only loss for Harrison in 16 professional
outings.
The PFL Championships take place at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.,
and feature title bouts in six different weight classes. The
evening’s main event will be a lightweight championship clash
between Olivier
Aubin-Mercier and Clay
Collard.