Aspen Ladd Replaces Julia Budd, Faces Kayla Harrison at PFL Championships

For the second time, a proposed booking between Kayla Harrison and Julia Budd has fallen through.

As a result, Aspen Ladd will step in a face Harrison at the 2023 PFL Championships on Nov. 24. According to a release from the PFL, the bout was changed because “Budd refused to fulfill her contractual obligation.” Further specifics were not given. While Harrison vs. Budd was to slated to take place at featherweight, the new pairing will be contested at a 150-pound catchweight. Harrison was previously scheduled to face Budd during the 2022 PFL season before the ex-Bellator champ withdrew from the bout.

Ladd has been in training as an alternate, according to the release. The 28-year-old Folsom, California, native signed with the PFL following a 4-3 stint in the UFC that included numerous issues making weight. Ladd competed in the 2023 PFL season at featherweight, where she dropped a majority decision to Olena Kolesnyk in April before scoring a first-round submission of Karolina Sobek in June. Ladd also bested Budd in her league debut last year.

A two-time PFL champion at lightweight, Harrison will be making her first appearance of 2023. The two-time Olympic gold medalist had her hopes of becoming a three-time PFL champion dashed last November, when she was upset by Larissa Pacheco. That is the only loss for Harrison in 16 professional outings.

The PFL Championships take place at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., and feature title bouts in six different weight classes. The evening’s main event will be a lightweight championship clash between Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Clay Collard.