Aspen Ladd replaces Holly Holm, headlines UFC Vegas 40 opposite Norma Dumont on Oct. 16

Aspen Ladd’s punishment for missing weight? A featherweight headliner against Norma Dumont atop the UFC Vegas 40 fight card on ESPN+, according to a report from ESPN, scheduled for Sat., Oct. 16, 2021 inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dumont’s original opponent, Holly Holm, was injured and forced to withdraw.

Ladd, who continually struggles to hit the bantamweight limit, sabotaged her UFC Vegas 38 showdown opposite Macy Chiasson after coming in heavy last weekend in “Sin City,” though some 135-pound veterans believe Ladd was trying to game the system.

Hopefully the extra 10 pounds will give Ladd the ability to make the featherweight mark.

It’s been nearly two years since the previously-injured Ladd (9-1) last stepped foot inside the cage, a technical knockout victory over Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7. As for Dumont (6-1), she’s coming off back-to-back wins over Ashlee Evans-Smith and Felicia Spencer.

No word yet on how UFC plans to rebook Chiasson.

As for Holm, who turns 40 later this month, a timeline for her Octagon return has yet to be established. Considering we’re already approaching mid-October, fans are unlikely to see the aging “Preacher’s Daughter” until some point in early-to-mid 2022.