‘Please tell me what you’re doing? You have to throw more than one punch!’: Aspen Ladd’s coach gives her brutal rebuke during defeat that Miesha Tate insists is ‘ABUSE’… but some fans praise him for ‘not sugar coating it’
- Ladd lost by unanimous decision to Norma Durmont in UFC Vegas 40
- Coach Jim West sternly rebuked her for lack of activity after three rounds
- UFC star Miesha Tate described West’s tirade as ‘abuse’ on Twitter
- Some fans defended West’s actions and claimed he was doing his job
Aspen Ladd’s coach Jim West has come under criticism for delivering a brutal rebuke to the American in between rounds of her loss to Norma Durmont in UFC Vegas 40 on Saturday.
Ladd (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) struggled from the off against Durmont (7-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and lost by unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the fight 49-46 in Durmont’s favour and another settling on a 48-47 decision.
The outcome of the fight, however, was overshadowed by a bizarre incident after the third round, when West told Ladd in no uncertain terms she would have to dial up the intensity by several notches if she was to stand a chance of winning the bout.
Aspen Ladd was on the receiving end of a rebuke from her corner after the third round
Ladd never got going in the bout and lost to Durmont by unanimous decision on Saturday
‘You’re down 3 to 0. Please tell me what you’re doing,’ West could be heard saying to his fighter.
‘You have to throw more than one punch.’
West’s rebuke caused a stir on social media and were described as ‘abuse’ by UFC star Meisha Tate.
‘This is abuse. What a douche,’ the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion tweeted.
UFC star Miesha Tate said Jim West’s treatment of Ladd was ‘abuse’ and called him a ‘douche’
In a follow post, Tate suggested West’s advice was both unsolicited and risked pushing Ladd to breaking point.
‘She would [have] done that [throwing punches] without him it’s who she is,’ she wrote in response to a user who suggested West was simply trying to get Ladd to shift through the gears.
‘He will take credit for her win but never for her loss. Trust me she can only take so much of this abuse before it breaks her spirit.’
Tate wasn’t alone in being disappointed by West’s approach.
Several other fans suggested Ladd did not deserve the stern rebuke from her coach
West was accused of lacking respect to Ladd after his tirade in the third round of UFC Vegas 40
One Twitter user suggested West’s stern words would push his fighter to breaking point
Several other viewers, however, suggested West deserved praise for his approach instead.
A number of fans indicated the coach’s rebuke was not only opportune but it came at the right time as Ladd had fallen behind on the scorecards.
The American ultimately failed to rally but one Twitter user praised West for not ‘sugar coating’ her shortcomings through the first three rounds.
West, however, was also praised for not ‘sugar coating’ Ladd’s struggles in the fight
Twitter users said West’s outburst was justified given Ladd was trailing on the scorecards
Ladd wasn’t originally scheduled to fight Durmont on Saturday night in Las Vegas, but stepped in as a replacement for former bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
The fight was her first since she defeated Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7 in December 2019 when, incidentally, West had also had some stern words for her after the second round.
Back then, however, Ladd came out firing and won by TKO just 33 seconds into the third round.