A top UFC women's fighter is appealing a recent knockout loss.
Aspen Ladd will go before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) on Tuesday and argue that her 16-second TKO defeat against Germaine de Randamie was stopped by referee Herb Dean prematurely, CSAC executive officer Andy Foster told ESPN on Sunday.
Ladd's team is hoping the commission votes to overturn the bout to a no contest at the hearing in Los Angeles, her manager Dave Hirschbein said. Dean will also be on hand to argue his case, per Foster.
De Randamie and Ladd fought in the main event of UFC Sacramento on July 13. The contest had serious implications. As a result of the quick stoppage, de Randamie was granted a title shot against UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes on Dec. 14 in Las Vegas.
In the fight, de Randamie knocked down Ladd with a hard right hand in the opening seconds. Ladd was turned around and on her knees as de Randamie attempted a follow-up left hand. It connected, but not cleanly as Dean came in to stop the bout. Ladd, sitting up and coherent, immediately contested Dean's decision in the cage. In MMA, referees can stop a bout via TKO if they feel as if a fighter is not intelligently defending himself or herself.
"He did what he thought was best," Ladd said in her postfight interview. "I felt fine, but I can't judge these things."
De Randamie and Ladd are among the top fighters in the 135-pound division. ESPN has de Randamie ranked No. 2 and Ladd at No. 4.
Ladd (8-1), a California native, is scheduled to fight Yana Kunitskaya at UFC: Overeem vs. Harris on Dec. 7 in Washington, D.C. The 24-year-old is one of the UFC's top young fighters.
De Randamie (9-3) has won five straight and is the former UFC women's featherweight champion. The 35-year-old Netherlands native has issued the commission a statement stating that she believes it was a fair stoppage by Dean, Foster said.