The UFC is targeting a bantamweight matchup between Aspen Ladd and Julianna Pena on March 28 in Columbus, Ohio, sources said.
Contracts have not been signed, but the promotion is working on finalizing the 135-pound contest. The fight will take place at UFC Fight Night inside Nationwide Arena and air on ESPN.
Ladd (9-1) is coming off a TKO win over Yana Kunitskaya in December. The 24-year-old is considered one of the top young talents in the division. She is 4-1 in the UFC, with her only loss coming against recent title challenger Germaine de Randamie.
Fighting out of Pioneer, California, Ladd’s other wins in the UFC were over Lina Lansberg, Tonya Evinger and Sijara Eubanks.
Pena (9-3) is looking to build off a decision win against former flyweight champion Nicco Montano in July. Pena missed all of 2018 due to the birth of her daughter but is still highly ranked with wins in five of her past six contests.
A heavyweight fight between Francis Ngannou (14-3) and Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-0) is set to headline the UFC Fight Night event.