Strawweight Ashley Yoder admits her body was broken and needed to be addressed, which is why she hasn’t fought since July of 2021. She never expected to be out of action two years however.
Yoder (8-8) had not one but two surgeries to repair a damaged shoulder, after the initial trip under the knife didn’t go according to plan.
“I was obviously in a really long layoff because of two surgeries. One of those surgeries, I believe that they didn’t address all the issues and the doctor might have made some new issues,” Yoder told The Top Turtle Podcast on Cageside Press recently. “So I had a second surgery almost back-to-back.”
“I was freaking out thinking I was going to be out four months, and two years later here we are. I guess you have to roll with the lack of punches, and it took me a long time to get back to where I wasn’t in pain and had full faith in my shoulder again.”
The good news is, the shoulder is better than ever, and Yoder returns at UFC Vegas 81 against Emily Ducote. The pair kick off Saturday’s preliminary card.
While the match-up looks like grappler versus striker at first glance, Yoder feels as if she can handle herself on the feet.
“I think we’re both really well rounded. Not just myself, I think she is as well. I think it’s going to make it a fun fight because we are well-rounded,” stated Yoder. “So it could be anywhere in the cage. It could be a stand-up fight, it could be on the ground.”
UFC Vegas 81 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
