Back in 2017, the UFC brought a prospect in from Invicta that looked like she was going to be a solid contender in the women’s 135-pound division. Aspen Ladd was 22 at the time with a 5-0 record, and three more solid wins in the Octagon pushed into a headlining fight against Germaine de Randamie.
And it was all downhill from there.
Ladd suffered a quick loss to GDR that night after looking very troubled at the weigh-ins. Over the last three years she ended up missing weight three times, which led to two fights getting canceled.