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UFC 273 is set to get going this weekend from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, April 9. There is a five-bout main card highlighted by two big title fights, but there’s plenty of action earlier in the day. ESPN and ESPN+ will host the preliminary card on Saturday, where you can watch Aspen Ladd vs. Raquel Pennington in a women’s bantamweight bout.
Ladd enters with a 9-2 record and is coming into this match off of a loss. In October of 2021, she lost by unanimous decision to Norma Dumont. Even so, Ladd remains the #4 fighter in the women’s bantamweight division. A win here could set her up for a future title shot against Julianna Peña. Ladd is the underdog at DraftKings Sportsbook with +155 odds.
Pennington has a 13-9 professional fighting record and has won her last three matches. She most recently got the second-round submission victory over Macy Chiasson in December of 2021. Pennington will be looking to show that she still has some fight left in the tank and enters as the -180 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.
How to watch Ladd vs. Pennington
Date: Saturday, April 9
Fight time: Preliminary card starts at 8:00 p.m. ET
Live stream: ESPN and ESPN+ via WatchESPN or the ESPN app
DraftKings Sportsbook Odds/Predictions
Ladd: +155
Pennington: -180
Splits: 61% of handle, 65% of bets on Raquel Pennington
Ladd was away from fighting for nearly two years and when she returned, she took a unanimous decision loss in October 2021. She is 1-2 in her last three fights dating back to July 2019. Pennington has been on a different trajectory and she has won three fights in a row. Her submission victory in her last fight reminds us that she is not only a talented striker, but she can take advantage on the mat and pull a submission out of nowhere.
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