Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. A pair of top-five Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweights
with recent issues on the scales are expected to toe the line in
April.
ESPN Deportes revealed on Thursday that Irene
Aldana (13-6) has been offered a fight against Aspen Ladd
(9-2) at UFC 273
on April 9. Should the two agree to compete, they will likely throw
down inside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the
promotion’s first trip to the venue since the beginning of 2019.
Ladd had been aiming for a matchup with ex-champ Miesha Tate,
but that fell through when Tate declined the pairing.
Aldana will be looking to make it two in a row when she takes on
the California native, as she trumped Yana
Kunitskaya in July for her lone appearance in 2021. The win
rebounded her from a five-round setback against former champion
Holly
Holm in October 2020, where she headlined an event for the
first time in her career. The victory did not come without
questions, as she missed weight by 3.5 pounds before taking on
Kunitskaya. The Mexican fighter was initially booked against
Germaine
de Randamie for UFC 268, but de Randamie withdrew due to injury
and Aldana did not receive a replacement opponent.
Ladd will be attempting to return to the bantamweight division
after an unsuccessful featherweight effort against Norma
Dumont in October. Ladd was requested to take the matchup at
145 pounds after missing weight in a few weeks before fighting
Dumont, as she was not medically cleared to compete at
bantamweight. The organization is giving her another try in the
division where she went 4-1 as a member of the roster, with wins
over Kunitskaya and Lina
Lansberg bolstering a short but growing resume of names.
UFC 273 is expected to take place at the Barclays Center in
Brooklyn, N.Y., barring restrictions or issues resulting from the
ongoing pandemic. No headliner has been announced for this event,
and it is expected but not certain that Aldana-Ladd will be placed
on the main card. The only other bout billed for the pay-per-view
currently is a featherweight clash pitting Pat
Sabatini against Gavin
Tucker.
