Former champion Germaine de Randamie and fast rising star Aspen Ladd are on a collision course as the main event for UFC Fight Night in Sacramento on July 13.
Sources close to the contest confirmed the news on Wednesday with verbal agreements in place from the fighters following an initial report from MMAJunkie. Bout agreements still have to be signed and nothing is official until the UFC confirms the contest.
Assuming it’s made official, the fight could very well determine the next No. 1 contender in the women’s bantamweight division.
De Randamie was crowned the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight champion with a win over Holly Holm in 2017 but she surrendered the belt without ever defending it and then moved back down to a more natural 135-pound weight class.
She then returned to bantamweight with a unanimous decision win against former title contender Raquel Pennington last November.
As for Ladd, the 24-year old California native has been one of the top prospects to join the UFC roster in recent years while earning a perfect 3-0 mark inside the Octagon with an 8-0 resume during her professional career.
Just two weeks ago, Ladd dispatched former ‘Ultimate Fighter’ finalist Sijara Eubanks by unanimous decision while earning ‘Fight of the Night’ honors in their bantamweight showcase.
Now Ladd will have the opportunity to face a former champion in de Randamie with the winner almost assuredly staring at a potential title shot in the future.
Reigning women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes is preparing for a showdown against Holly Holm in the UFC 239 co-main event on July 6 with de Randamie vs. Ladd taking place one week later in Sacramento.
