The Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada will be an exciting place to be at this weekend as UFC Vegas 40 is scheduled to go down on Saturday, October 16. The card, as usual, is filled with numerous intriguing matchups, however, a lot of people are looking forward to the main event.
The final match of the night will be a big one as two women’s featherweight competitors are slated to collide. The 9-1-0 Aspen Ladd will square off against the 6-1-0 Norma “The Immortal” Dumont in what is sure to be a thrilling main event. It was originally supposed to be Holly Holm in Ladd’s spot, but she had to pull out of the show due to injury.
Fortunately, BetOnline has released odds heading into the UFC Vegas 40 main event, shedding more light as to which woman is likely to win.
With that being said, here’s a look at those odds.
UFC Vegas 40 Odds: Aspen Ladd vs Norma Dumont
Odds via BetOnline as of Wednesday, October 13
- Record: Aspen Ladd (9-1-0) vs Norma Dumont (6-1-0)
- Moneyline: Ladd (-130) vs Dumont (+110)
- Total Rounds: 4.5 — Over (-125), Under (-105)
Check BetOnline.ag for more odds later in the week, including prop bets.
Can Ladd Win First Fight in Two Years?
This Saturday night will be a big moment for Ladd. The 26-year-old hasn’t fought in nearly two years after tearing both her ACL and MCL while training for a fight back in 2020. She’s tried multiple times to fight since then, however, something has always come up, ranging from her own health issues to her opponents needing to pull out of the match.
The good news is that Ladd seems to be in good health and should have no issue showing up at UFC Vegas 40. The only question that remains is what will she look like following her hiatus?
The last time we saw Ladd, her UFC career was off to a promising start. She was 4-1 since joining the company and even took him both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night honors during two of her victories. Three of her four victories came from TKO, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see her trying to knock Dumont out — especially with Ladd averaging 5.22 significant strikes per minute on 55% accuracy. The issue there is that Dumont actually has a good strike defense rating (67%), which means the UFC Vegas 40 main event could end up going the distance.
The problem with that is that we still don’t know what Ladd looks like following her ACL and MCL tears. Will she be the same fighter she once was? And can she handle a full five-round bout? Only time will tell, but a victory in her return fight would certainly get the MMA world talking.
Dumont the Underdog in UFC Vegas 40 Main Event
At +110 odds, Dumont will enter UFC Vegas 40 as the slight underdog in the main event. The 31-year-old Brazilian has been on a roll in her last few fights. After losing her UFC debut in February 2020, Dumont has won each of her last two bouts, with the most recent being a split decision victory over former UFC Women's Featherweight Championship challenger Felicia Spencer.
Dumont’s victory over Spencer was also her featherweight debut, which gives her somewhat of an advantage over Ladd, who has yet to fight at that weight class. Another potential advantage that Dumont has over her UFC Vegas 40 opponent is that three of her last four fights have gone the distance. If Ladd is rusty or her injuries hold her back, a longer fight would definitely benefit Dumont more. It might not be pretty, but that’s her likeliest method of victory.
All in all, the UFC Vegas 40 main event is shaping up to be a good one. Both women are unranked in the featherweight division, so a victory here would do a lot for either of their careers. Nevertheless, with Amanda Nunes being the UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion, Ladd and Dumont still have a lot to prove before they’re seen as credible challengers.
