Jim West has come forward to apologize for his “harsh” coaching of Aspen Ladd in the main event of UFC Vegas 40.
At UFC Vegas 40, Aspen Ladd made her featherweight debut against Norma Dumont in the night’s headliner. Things did not go Ladd’s way, and this did not escape the attention of her head coach, Jim West, as the fight was unfolding. Between rounds, West was giving Ladd an earful, with his sharp words bleeding into the broadcast.
Many fans and even some within the industry criticized West for his coaching, with former UFC bantamweight champion Meisha Tate even classifying it as “abuse.” Below, you can find one particular exchange that began to circulate on social media after the fight.
West urgently asked Ladd what she was doing and insisted that she had to throw more than one punch at a time. After the bout concluded and Dumont was announced the victor, West took to Instagram, feeling that an apology was in order.
“Tonight was not our night. It’s been our night many many times at the highest level but not tonight. I blame myself. Though it may not be my fault. it’s not up for debate. I take all the blame. Yes after the first couple rounds I may have been a little harsh but i know aspen and at that time technical conversation was not in the cards being down 3 rounds. Nonetheless i own it and i am sorry @aspenladd from the bottom of my heart I will continue to be better each time.“
It’s uncertain what the future holds for Ladd following this rocky start at 145, but at only 26 years of age, she has all the time in the world to get acclimated to her new division. Saturday’s loss to Dumont made for the second defeat of her career. Ladd’s professional record now sits at 9-2.
Do you think Jim West was a little over the top with his coaching of Aspen Ladd last night?
