Women’s bantamweight fighter Jessica Eye was set to fight Aspen Ladd at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale, but then Ladd fell ill and the fight was canceled.
Eye says that she had to deal with a wave of emotions once the fight against Ladd was canned.
“We got on the phone (with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby), and he told me that Aspen had gotten sick,” Eye told the media backstage at the TUF 25 Finale. “I just felt a wave of emotion, because I know more than you guys know that I’m on the hot seat. We know this sport is about if you’re not on top, then you’re at the bottom and you’re out. They find someone else to swim better than you. I know more than anybody where my career is at right now, and I wanted to prove to myself more than anything. I left no stone unturned. I came in making weight, I had such a positive camp. It sucks. What else can I say? It hurts. I feel like everything was perfect for me this camp. Making weight was so simple. I mean, I was eating a sandwich when I was checking in for the week and stuff. I didn’t see this coming, I didn’t feel this coming. I felt like for once, things were finally going in my direction. I didn’t expect this.”
For Eye, the fight against Ladd was going to be an opportunity for her to earn a victory for the first time in almost three years.
The female bantamweight star believes it was a bad weight cut that forced Ladd to pull out of the fight.
“I have my own speculations — I think it was just a bad weight cut. Unfortunately for her, that is going to cost her a lot of accountability,” she said. “A part of being a fighter is making weight and making it to the fight.”
It is unlikely that the fight would be rescheduled, because Eye had previously stated that she would like to fight in the newly minted UFC Women’s Flyweight Division next.
