"You tried to manipulate the scale" - Miesha Tate fires back after Aspen Ladd slammed her for 'negative' comments on weight miss
The bad blood between Aspen Ladd and Miesha Tate has continued, with Tate lashing out on social media. This comes in response to comments made by Ladd in the pre-fight interviews for UFC Vegas 40.
Aspen Ladd was initially scheduled to face off against Macy Chiasson at UFC Vegas 38. However, she missed weight, leading to the fight falling apart. Just two weeks later, she is now headlining a UFC Fight Night card, this time against Norma Dumon, up a division.
This drew criticism from several notable figures in the world of MMA. Arguably the most notable of these figures was former UFC women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, who lashed out at Ladd, claiming that she was attempting to manipulate the scale.
Ladd was recently asked about Tate's comments, where she stated the following in response:
"I respect Miesha very much as a fighter and I've wanted to fight her since she came back. She is probably one of the biggest names in women's MMA, besides Ronda and Cyborg. So when she came back, I think all 35er's wanted a piece of of her. And I'm one of them. So, there's just a thing where somebody else is going through something that's not very pleasant, I'd rather never do something to make them feel worse, or comment on it. You're just putting more negativity out there."
Miesha Tate has since reacted to Aspen Ladd's interview, posting the following to her Twitter account:
"Some people aren’t afraid to call it like they see it. It’s not an attack on you going through something unpleasant, I don’t wish bad on anyone. You tried to manipulate the scale to read a weight that was not accurate. That’s unfair play, If anything I’d say I’m defending Macy."
Could we ever see Aspen Ladd vs. Miesha Tate?
"Maybe we'll meet down the road." Aspen Ladd's closing line in her recent pre-fight interview where she discussed Miesha Tate. However, for the time being, it would appear that Ladd's MMA career will be centered around the women's featherweight division.
Alternatively, Miesha Tate recently made a return to the UFC after several years out. She has stated that her goal is to make a run at the women's bantamweight division, having already defeated Marion Reneau this year.
Considering how thin the UFC's roster is in the women's 145lb division, it would not be surprising if Ladd does drop back down at some point in her career. Alternatively, Tate may well seek a move up a weight class should she hit a road bump at 135.