Aspen Ladd vs. Sijara Eubanks slated for UFC Rochester

MMAfighting.com

Aspen Ladd will welcome Sijara Eubanks back into the bantamweight division.

A collision between the two up-and-coming contenders has been set for May 18 at UFC Rochester. MMA Fighting confirmed the booking Thursday following an initial report by MMA Junkie. Ladd and Eubanks have fought once before, with Ladd winning a unanimous decision over the TUF veteran in Jan. 2017 at Invicta FC 21.

An undefeated 24-year-old, Ladd (7-0) was originally in talks to face former UFC champion Holly Holm at UFC 235, however the booking ultimately failed to come to fruition.

Ladd is a perfect 2-0 in the UFC, having picked up back-to-back TKO stoppages over Lina Lansberg and former Invicta FC champion Tonya Evinger to kick off her Octagon tenure.

Eubanks (4-2), meanwhile, moves back up to 135 pounds after an up-and-down run in the flyweight division. “Sarj” was a finalist on The Ultimate Fighter 26 after going 3-0 on the show, however her expected title shot against Nicco Montano fell through when she suffered health complications while trying to make weight for the bout.

After returning with a victory over Lauren Murphy, Eubanks missed weight for her most recent UFC 230 win over Roxanne Modafferi, prompting her move back up to the bantamweight division.

UFC Rochester takes place at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. The main card will stream live on ESPN+.