Aspen Ladd is smiling and entirely at ease just three days away from her highly anticipated debut under the BKB (Bare Knuckle Boxing) banner. For a fighter venturing into a new, violent arena in Miami for BKB 58, the former UFC bantamweight contender’s relaxed demeanor is a testament to the stability she has finally found. Ladd was ready to return to what she does best: fighting hard and often, fed up with the frustrating lack of activity and communication that led to her split with BKFC.
Ladd said her decision to join BKB was based largely on glowing recommendations from former teammates, and the obvious professionalism of the promotion. When asked about her departure from BKFC, she was short and sweet. “Communication is the number one issue with them. Communication and lack of fighting enough,” Ladd stated. “I’m still in my prime, right? And I love to fight. Like, I’m not okay with fighting once a year or being offered to fight every eight or nine months. That doesn’t work for me.” Now armed with a secure, lucrative four-fight deal with her new promoter, she is laser-focused on leaving a massive footprint across multiple weight classes.
Chasing Belts in the Trigon
Ladd’s ambitions in her new combat sports home are anything but modest. Because the promotion utilizes traditional boxing weight classes, the 31-year-old veteran has a pathway to chase titles at 135, 140, and 147 pounds. While she is currently competing at 140 pounds against the durable Bianca Daimoni, Ladd confirmed she has her diet and lifestyle dialed in and can safely make 135 pounds if a title opportunity presents itself. She noted that she is walking around much lighter and healthier now than during her well-documented weight-cutting struggles in the past.
Furthermore, Ladd is openly embracing BKB’s unique triangular ring, known as the Trigon. To prepare for the notoriously tight space, she and her team utilized traditional boxing rings in the gym to properly simulate the claustrophobic corners she will be forced to navigate this weekend.
Built for the Bare-Knuckle Brutality
Stepping into bare-knuckle combat can be daunting for many mixed martial artists, but Ladd is leaning into her natural ruggedness. Reflecting on her transition to the sport, she dismissed concerns about hand injuries, noting that striking without restrictive four-ounce MMA gloves actually feels more secure and natural to her.
“I’ve always been, I’m not delicate, let’s say. I’m not built in a delicate way,” Ladd said with a laugh. “So, I guess you got to go with your physical attributes and mindset. All right, we’re not going to break when we hit hard things.”
The beauty of her current BKB contract is its flexibility. Ladd praised the promotion for allowing its athletes to compete in other combat sports, leaving the door wide open for a potential return to MMA if the right offer materializes. For now, however, she remains fully committed to conquering the bare-knuckle world.
As an established veteran who has seen it all, Ladd also offered her thoughts on the broader combat sports landscape. When asked about the much-discussed fantasy matchup between Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey, Ladd brushed off the idea of the super-fight ever happening, noting that Rousey simply has no reason to return to the cage. Instead of dwelling on the past of women’s MMA, Ladd is entirely focused on her own future, ready to remind the combat sports world exactly why she remains one of the most game fighters on the planet.
