Aspen Ladd has issued a statement after suffering a disappointing loss to Norma Dumont in tonight’s UFC Vegas 40 main event.

Ladd (9-2 MMA) was actually slated to compete two weeks ago at UFC Vegas 38. However, she was ultimately removed from that fight card after missing weight for her fight against Macy Chiasson at 135lbs. The 26-year-old had most previously competed back in December of 2019, where she earned a third-round TKO victory over Yana Kunitskaya.

Meanwhile, Norma Dumont (7-1 MMA) had entered Saturday’s UFC Vegas 40 headliner looking to earn her third straight win. The Brazilian had last competed back in May, where she picked up a split-decision victory over former title challenger Felicia Spencer.

Aspen Ladd’s return to action definitely did not go according to plan. Whether it was due to competing at 145lbs or because of the long layoff, she just couldn’t get things going tonight. Instead, Norma Dumont went on to cruise to a unanimous decision victory, thanks in large part to her jab.

Shortly following tonight’s setback, Aspen Ladd took to Instagram where she issued the following statement to her fans.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVHc4jFLw04/

“Not my night. Congrats to my opponent. We will be back better. In the mean time I finally got to get back in there after nearly 2 years. Now it’s time to take a step back, take a breath, and get back to fighting and feeling like myself again. On to the next.” – Ladd wrote.

Aspen Ladd made not mention of her coach Jim West, who was scolded by several fighters for his actions during the fight (see that here).

Who would you like to see Ladd matched up against next following her unanimous decision loss to Dumont at tonight’s UFC Vegas 40 event? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!