Jim West is the head coach at MMA Gold, which is the home to many top level MMA fighters, including Marion Reneau and Aspen Ladd.
Ladd was supposed to fight Holly Holm at UFC 235, but that bout wound up being canned, which is something West found out while in Brazil.
“It all happened like you just heard it (from UFC President Dana White during a press conference), kind of like that. I was in Brazil for Anthony Hernandez and Max Griffin, I was sitting…me and the manager Dave, we were sitting there and actually Anthony and Max and everyone…kind of the whole crew that was out there for Brazil. We’re sitting eating dinner and Dave had gotten a text from a pretty notable media outlet saying ‘hey, what’s wrong with Aspen?’ He looks at me and says “hey, what’s wrong with Aspen?’ I’m like ‘I don’t know, she’s back at home sparring. It’s Thursday at about 5 o’clock, she’s probably sparring right now.’ So I said “I don’t know what you’re talking about’ and he goes ‘well they’re asking because Dana just said at the press conference that Aspen Ladd and Holly Holm…the fights off.’ We’re like ‘well that’s news to us.’ So that’s how we found out, just like you guys…we had no idea. Aspen signed the contract to fight Holly, I think it was two days after Christmas. Soon as she got it, we signed the contract and sent it back. So we were never under any other impression other than we were fighting at UFC 235, but obviously as we all know…that’s not transpiring. Which is what it is, it is business I guess. Aspen will fight again soon, can’t kind of give that information away,” says West in an exclusive interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.
Holm was reportedly set to fight UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 237, but that bout wound up not being put together in the end.
Reneau is back in action at UFC Fight Night Wichita and West says that fans can expect to see the fighter at her best on that night.
“Marion’s very focused, very sharp right now. We just kind of finished up this past weekend, just kind of going over some of the plan…getting our reps in with what we expect. She’s more than ready, Marion’s very mentally tough…very strong woman. She will be her best March 9,” says West.
West’s clients in Ladd (#6) and Reneau (#7) are ranked right next to each other in the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Division, so a potential clash between the two could be in the cards one day.
