Ex-Bellator champion Julia Budd has been released from the PFL.
The move comes after Budd dropped out of her upcoming fight against two-time champion Kayla Harrison, which was scheduled to take place at the upcoming PFL Finals card on Nov. 24. With Budd out, UFC veteran Aspen Ladd is set to take on Harrison at a 150-pound catchweight.
PFL CEO Peter Murray confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Thursday.
“She’s been released,” Murray said about Budd. “That is correct [she is no longer in PFL].”
In the initial press release confirming the change in the fight, PFL officials stated Budd “refused to fulfill her contractual obligation” and forced the promotion to scrap the fight with Harrison.
“She had the opportunity to take the fight, and she chose not to,” Murray said. “[Budd] did not sign her bout agreement, consistent with her contract, and unfortunately we had to move on. We’re really excited about Aspen. This is going to be a great fight.”
Ladd joined the PFL roster after she was released from the UFC, where she amassed a 4-3 record in seven fights but struggled to make weight while competing at 135 pounds. In the PFL, she made the permanent move up to featherweight and has gone 2-1 thus far, winning a split decision over Budd in her debut.
In the end, Murray believes Harrison vs. Ladd will be the better fight as they meet for the PFL Finals.
“While originally fans and we had wanted to see Kayla and Julia, but that didn’t get done,” Murray said. “So Aspen, she’s been training. She’s been looking forward to getting back in the cage, and the timing was right given the circumstances. I think it’s a great matchup. Aspen beat Julia. It should be a better fight. It’s on.”
As for Budd, her run with the PFL comes to an end with a 2-3 record in the promotion that she put together after a long stint with Bellator MMA. Most recently, she secured a win over Martina Jindrova, but she wasn’t able to advance to the playoffs from the PFL regular season schedule.
Now, she’s once again a free agent following her release from the PFL.