Tag: aspen ladd

Aspen Ladd Chalks Up Miesha Tate’s Criticism as “Trying To Get Views”

Aspen Ladd thinks Miesha Tate’s criticism of her was for personal gain.

Aspen Ladd is still defending herself from the criticism thrown her way. Following her last outing at UFC Vegas 40, she took some judgment from fans and media because of the w…

Miesha Tate Aspen Ladd

Aspen Ladd thinks Miesha Tate’s criticism of her was for personal gain.

Aspen Ladd is still defending herself from the criticism thrown her way. Following her last outing at UFC Vegas 40, she took some judgment from fans and media because of the way her coach/boyfriend spoke to her during the fight.

One of the loudest voices sending shade Ladd’s way was former UFC Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate.

Miesha Tate
Miesha Tate (Image Credit: Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

Ladd and Tate have been involved in multiple occasions of beef over the last few months. Ladd has her theory on why Tate has been going in on her.

“I think she looks at the world through the lens of her own experiences,” Ladd said to MMA Fighting. “I mean, we all do. I think she had a very, very negative experience with her past relationship and it became very public for a while. She was with a coach for a very long time and there was a lot of he said, she said going on there. And who knows? I don’t know.”

Tate spoke out about Ladd and her missed weight for her UFC Vegas 38 bout. She called Ladd a cheater and then went off on her again following the incident at UFC Vegas 40. Tate cited having a similar situation with a coach as a significant other and that is why she spoke out about Ladd’s situation.

“She tends to comment on when other people are a little bit down and I’m not a fan of that style of being a person,” Ladd explained. “She’s trying to get views. It’s the world that we’re living in now, and media, social media, all of it, it’s like, ‘Well look at me.’ She’s trying to do something to garner that, and that’s totally fine, especially when it’s someone you want to fight—as long as they back up what they’re saying.”

This growing animosity between Ladd and Tate would make for a great fight. Ladd has been pushing to set up a bout with Tate ever since she returned from her retirement. However, Tate is not interested. She has stated that she does not want to face Ladd inside the Octagon until Ladd has proven she can get her weight-cutting issues under control.

Would you like to see Aspen Ladd and Miesha Tate fight?

Continue Reading Aspen Ladd Chalks Up Miesha Tate’s Criticism as “Trying To Get Views” at MMA News.

Miesha Tate Explains Why She Won’t Fight Aspen Ladd

Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate has explained why she won’t be accepting a fight against Aspen Ladd anytime soon.

Tate returned to the UFC earlier this year after nearly five years in retirement. She originally stepped away fro…

Miesha Tate, Aspen Ladd

Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate has explained why she won’t be accepting a fight against Aspen Ladd anytime soon.

Tate returned to the UFC earlier this year after nearly five years in retirement. She originally stepped away from the sport following back-to-back losses to Amanda Nunes, which saw the 135-pound title leave her possession, and Raquel Pennington.

In the UFC Vegas 31 co-main event, Tate stepped out of retirement by sending veteran Marion Reneau into it. With a third-round TKO, the former champ announced her arrival back onto the bantamweight ladder. But her charge to the belt stalled at the hands of Ketlen Vieira last month. In the UFC Vegas 43 main event, Tate was comfortably beaten on the scorecards.

While her next opponent is far from decided, Tate has revealed it certainly won’t be one contender.

Tate Calls On Ladd To “Show Some Kind Of Progression”

Tate has been developing a rivalry with Aspen Ladd, a feud which has fostered into a bitter back-and-forth in recent months. Tate initially revealed interest in a clash with Ladd, a sentiment shared by the Californian in an interview with MMA News. However, relations soured after Ladd’s weight miss ahead of UFC Vegas 38 in October.

After Ladd weighed in over the limit and appeared visibly unwell on the scales, Tate showed no sympathy, accusing her of attempting to “cheat.” The veteran was slammed by both Ladd and her coach for trying to kick her while she was down.

Despite Ladd, who went up to featherweight in her last outing, suggesting she intends on returning to 135 pounds to face Tate, “Cupcake” doesn’t share the same enthusiasm for the grudge match. In a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, the former 135-pound UFC titleholder responded to Ladd’s callout, stating she wouldn’t consider facing the #4-ranked bantamweight until she’s proven she can make the weight.

“Aspen Ladd has called me out to a fight at 135 pounds. I’m afraid that I’m going to waste an entire camp training for a fight that may very well end at the scale,” Tate explained. “Aspen Ladd has missed weight three times in her MMA career and one time she failed to make it to the fight due to weight cutting issues.

UFC fighter Aspen Ladd shakes, almost collapses on stage after missing weight for fight in Las Vegas - ABC News
Aspen Ladd On the Scales

“So all in all four times. Go to PI (performance institute) show some kind of progression. If one of these other bantamweights wants to take that risk, then hats off to them. If Aspen Ladd can show up, make 135 pounds and have a good performance then we might be talking.” (h/t BJPenn.com)

Despite her setback against Vieira, Tate remains motivated to make her way back to the top of the mountain. However, with her friend and occasional teammate Julianna Peña now sitting on the throne, the 35-year-old suggested she could be forced to pursue the flyweight belt instead. If that happens, a clash between Tate and Ladd will become even more distant.

How do you think a fight between Miesha Tate and Aspen Ladd would play out?

Continue Reading Miesha Tate Explains Why She Won’t Fight Aspen Ladd at MMA News.

Aspen Ladd Is Heading Back To Bantamweight, Wants Miesha Tate Next

Aspen Ladd has her sights set on a return to bantamweight.

The past few months have been a bit drama-filled for UFC’s Aspen Ladd. She missed weight, made weight in another division, made some enemies, and lost a fight. Now, she is in the process o…

Aspen Ladd Miesha Tate

Aspen Ladd has her sights set on a return to bantamweight.

The past few months have been a bit drama-filled for UFC’s Aspen Ladd. She missed weight, made weight in another division, made some enemies, and lost a fight. Now, she is in the process of getting herself back on track and she has a good idea of where she would like to head next, back to bantamweight and against Miesha Tate.

Ladd confirmed to MMA Junkie that she will “definitely” be returning to the bantamweight division. Her last bout was a one-off at featherweight against Norma Dumont in October. She lost that bout just a week after she missed weight for her originally scheduled bout against Macy Chiasson.

One of the loudest critics when she missed weight was the former champion, Miesha Tate. Tate also spoke on the harsh cornering Ladd received from her coach, Jim West. Tate stated that she knows from personal experience the problems that could arise from a fighter and coach dating.

“I think she’s definitely stirred the pot quite a bit,” Ladd said of Tate. “We all have life experiences, right? But without knowing what’s happened to another person, you can’t just apply, like, your triggers and what’s wrong with you to them. She has a tendency to see the world through what’s happened to her in the past.”

Tate spoke out on Ladd’s professionalism on the scale. Tate accused Ladd of cheating and began a Twitter feud with her and her coach. Even before the arguments, Ladd was persuing a bout against Tate. These comments have now just solidified her desire to take on Tate.

“I don’t want to talk sh-t, but I definitely want that fight,” Ladd said. “You said some things; let’s go handle this like adults here.”

Tate is coming off a loss to Ketlen Vieira on Nov. 20. This was the first loss suffered by Tate since returning to the UFC following the birth of her children and a brief retirement. Tate is currently sitting in the #7 spot of the official bantamweight rankings. With Ladd at number four, it could be a fight that Tate is willing to take.

Do you want to see Ladd and Tate settle their beef inside the Octagon?

Continue Reading Aspen Ladd Is Heading Back To Bantamweight, Wants Miesha Tate Next at MMA News.

Miesha Tate Lays Out The Problem With Fighter And Coach Dating

Miesha Tate is offering some advice to the tougher generation of female fighters.

Miesha Tate is a veteran in the world of MMA. She recently has made a return to fighting after a short retirement. She has been in the UFC since 2013 and has been thr…

Miesha Tate

Miesha Tate is offering some advice to the tougher generation of female fighters.

Miesha Tate is a veteran in the world of MMA. She recently has made a return to fighting after a short retirement. She has been in the UFC since 2013 and has been through it all. Now as a radio personality, Tate has the chance to speak out on news topics within the sport. Recently she caught some slack for her comments on fellow bantamweight Aspen Ladd and her relationship with her boyfriend/coach.

“It is, from my experience, generally problematic when a female fighter, especially younger, starts dating a coach,” she told The MMA Hour. “The more the age difference, the more they become, sort of, hooks in, claws deep, and they start to feel like they can rule your life. And that can happen even outside of fighting, but when you add that kind of dynamic to it as well, it can just be such an ugly situation. So I think it’s something we should definitely have conversations about, make people a little more aware that it doesn’t have to be that way.”

Bryan Caraway, Miesha Tate
Bryan Caraway, Miesha Tate

Tate is speaking from her own experience throughout her career. She was in a relationship for quite some time with former UFC fighter Bryan Caraway. Caraway also doubled as Tate’s coach through most of her UFC career. The two split since then and now Tate is dating another fighter named Johnny Nuñez who she has two children with.

“But a lot of times, I feel like women gravitate toward a male figure that’s in their life consistently and trying to help them. But once it becomes a relationship, things become so entangled and so intertwined, and it’s very difficult not only to separate your personal life from when you go into the gym but the gym from when you go home. That was my biggest problem was that the coach always came home. I lost the significant other if you will, and it just became this mental game — it was 24/7.”

Tate and Ladd have had a great deal of back and forth both arguing about Ladd’s recent botched weight cut. The two even planned to fight each other before it all went down. They could still find themselves across the cage from each other in the future.

Do you agree with Tate’s assessment of a fighter/coach relationship?

Continue Reading Miesha Tate Lays Out The Problem With Fighter And Coach Dating at MMA News.

Is The UFC Being Too Lenient When Fighters Miss Weight?

When a fighter takes a fight, a contract is sent out and signed by both parties. In this contract is a lot of information but among that information is time, place, and agreed-upon weight. Historically, if a fighter steps on the scale and comes in over the limit of their weight class, there are two […]

Continue Reading Is The UFC Being Too Lenient When Fighters Miss Weight? at MMA News.

When a fighter takes a fight, a contract is sent out and signed by both parties. In this contract is a lot of information but among that information is time, place, and agreed-upon weight.

Historically, if a fighter steps on the scale and comes in over the limit of their weight class, there are two punishments. Either the fight is canceled, which is the case most of the time if the fighter’s health is in jeopardy. The other option is to keep the scheduled fight and fine the fighter a percentage of their fight purse. Usually, it would be 20 percent of their purse being handed over to their opponent. On some occasions, it could be 30 percent.

Depending on how much that fighter is making for their fight could be the deciding factor on whether their opponent agrees or not. Also to take into consideration is how much of an advantage a fighter has by not cutting the extra 1-5 pounds or more. More on this later.

Fighters having missed weight has been an issue for years. Since the beginning of weight classes, someone probably missed the mark. However, now more than ever it seems the UFC is becoming more lenient on these mishaps. In the last month alone, four fighters have come in heavy and been let off the hook or downright rewarded for it, beginning with Nick Diaz.

Diaz was returning to the Octagon after a long layoff. He agreed to fight Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. The bout was set to be a welterweight matchup, but the week before the fight, Diaz called for it to be moved up 15 pounds to middleweight. UFC president Dana White even laughed about it saying he didn’t think Diaz wanted to cut the weight. So the fight was adjusted, and Lawler agreed, no punishment was given, it was just moved up.

Next was the situation with Aspen Ladd. Ladd actually made it to the scale for her UFC Vegas 38 bout against Macy Chiasson but missed weight. Ladd was visually in bad shape on the scale and the fight was canceled. Not one week later it was announced that Ladd was going to get an opportunity to headline the UFC Vegas 40 card against Norma Dumont at featherweight. So not only did she miss weight, she cheated Chiasson out of a fight opportunity and was rewarded with another main event opportunity where she would not need to cut as much weight.

Recently on the Dana White Contender Series, a fighter, Jake Hadley, missed weight. He went on to win his fight against Mitch Raposo and received a UFC contract. This sets a bad precedent. Let’s talk more about the advantage a fighter could have by not cutting the full weight.

Fighter A and B decide to meet at 155 pounds. Fighter A makes weight. They worked hard for weeks watching what they ate. Sweated out for a day or days to make the weight. They pushed their body to the limit and made themselves ill in the process. Fighter B gives up a few pounds. Maybe they pushed just as hard as fighter A, but maybe they didn’t. Perhaps they decided to give up some money and not go through that last bit of agony to kill themselves to make weight. They might be able to balloon back up bigger and better than fighter A. That could be an advantage.

The last example is happening now. Paulo Costa is fighting Marvin Vettori this coming Saturday. Costa knew he was coming in heavy. He fessed up and asked for a catchweight. This is both saving him the agony of cutting too much and the loss of money by giving up a percentage of his purse. The UFC granted a catchweight of 195 pounds, which has since been bumped up to 205 pounds. Now could every fighter start asking for this treatment? Maybe a new plan could be to wait until a week out when your opponent doesn’t expect it and ask for a move in weight. That isn’t fair and the UFC should not be allowing these things to go on. Granted, they don’t want to lose out on main events but maybe the leniency could be taken advantage of.

Do you think the UFC needs stricter punishments for fighters missing weight?

Continue Reading Is The UFC Being Too Lenient When Fighters Miss Weight? at MMA News.