He didn’t get the win, but Eric Spicely’s fight at UFC on ESPN+ 12 helped make a major difference in his life.
Spicely (12-5 MMA, 2-5 UFC), who lost a unanimous decision to Deron Winn (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout on Saturday’s card, accepted the fight on six days’ notice and managed to go the distance in a hard-fought and entertaining bout.
The UFC brass clearly appreciated Spicely’s effort (as UFC president Dana White expressed on social media), because he was awarded a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus. That extra sum of money is helpful for any fighter, but for Spicely in particular, it was extremely significant (via Twitter):
My bank account was -230$ I’m fucking juiced right now!!! #FOTN
UFC on ESPN+ 12 took place at Bon Secours Wellness Center in Greenville, S.C. Spicely vs. Winn opened the preliminary card on ESPN prior to the main card on ESPN+.
Despite no training camp for the contest, Spicely managed to avoid being finished in a loss for the first time in his career. Winn made him work to get to the final bell, too, because the octagon newcomer landed a single-fight record of significant strikes (169) for a UFC middleweight bout.
Overall, though, Spicely has lost four consecutive fights under the UFC banner. It’s unlikely his job is in danger for now, though, because it’s rare for the promotion to release anyone coming off a “Fight of the Night” award.
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 12, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
