Chael Sonnen Recounts Being Deceived by Aspen Ladd Impersonator

In a humorous revelation on The MMA Hour, Chael Sonnen admitted to falling victim to an impersonation scam orchestrated by someone pretending to be Aspen Ladd. Sonnen recalled the incident, which took place during Ladd’s early days in the UFC, when she was still establishing herself as a contender in the bantamweight division. The deceptive interaction began with direct messages exchanged on Twitter, with Sonnen unknowingly communicating with an imposter for approximately seven months before sensing that something was off.

Sonnen explained that he became suspicious after receiving a lengthy direct message that was clearly a copy-and-paste job. The mistake became apparent when the imposter referred to “Laspen Add” instead of Aspen Ladd, a clear deviation from how Ladd would speak. Sonnen confronted the imposter, exposing the deception and prompting the person to confess their true identity.

Surprisingly, the imposter turned out to be a friendly individual who had connections to the UFC, including a friendship with Reed Harris, a UFC executive. She eventually contacted Sonnen directly after obtaining his number from a mutual acquaintance. Sonnen emphasized that the person didn’t have malicious intentions and that it was a small world coincidence that led to their misguided exchange.

Regrettably, Aspen Ladd’s UFC career faced setbacks after its promising start. She suffered three losses in her final four UFC fights and encountered various weight-related issues. Following a disastrous weight cut prior to a bantamweight bout against Sara McMann in September 2022, Ladd was released by the promotion. She then signed with the PFL’s featherweight division, where she has achieved two victories in three fights, defeating former Bellator champion Julia Budd and Karolina Sobek while losing to Olena Kolesnyk.

Despite the miscommunication on Twitter, Sonnen harbors no ill will towards Aspen Ladd or the person who posed as her on social media. He clarified that it was indeed Aspen Ladd’s account, but the imposter had employed a publicist, a fact he discovered during their half-year interaction.

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