Germain de Randamie put her No. 1 bantamweight contender status on the line against the very talented Aspen Ladd at UFC Sacramento on Saturday night, and came out with an impressive knockout victory.
Randamie connected with a powerful right hand at the start of the first round, knocking Ladd to the canvas. While Ladd did appear temporarily dazed following the strike, she had almost immediatly rolled over to ready her defense and continue the fight. But referee Herb Dean must've seen something that many viewers at the arena and at home didn't and he made the controversial decision to stop the fight. Ladd appeared stunned by his decision.
Germain de Randamie handled the crowd's booing with class, understanding their frustration with the stoppage. But she didn't at all feel sorry for her victory. “I mean, I hit her on the button and Herb Dean called it – and I mean hit her with the second shot,” de Randamie said after the fight.
Aspen Ladd took the loss in stride. "S**t happens, guys. Sorry. I'll be back better," she said. Ladd was also asked about Herb Dean's stoppage. "He did what he thought was best. I felt fine, but I can't judge these things."
As the No. 1 contender, it would seem a bantamweight title matchup with champion Amanda Nunes is next. Riding a five-fight win streak, de Randamie's last loss actually came at the hands of Nunes back in November 2013. Nunes, meanwhile, has since become a two-divison champion (bantamweight and featherweight) and is coming off an impressive bantamweight title defense over Holly Holm at UFC 239 earlier this month.