The UFC is in Las Vegas for the second straight weekend for Saturday’s UFC 250 pay-per-view event. In the headlining bout, UFC women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes puts her title on the line against former Invicta FC 145-pound champion Felicia Spencer. UFC 250 takes place at UFC Apex.
Nunes, who also holds the UFC women’s bantamweight crown, is being promoted as the greatest women’s fighter in the history of MMA heading into this contest. It‘s hard to argue that point. During her current 10-fight winning streak, she has defeated every woman who has held both the UFC women’s bantamweight title as well as every woman who has held the UF women’s featherweight belt. The names on that list include Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, Cris Cyborg and Germaine de Randamie. She also has two victories over the current UFC women‘s featherweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko.
Nunes started her career on a 9-4 run. She has not lost since 2014 when Cat Zingano knocked her out in the third round. She is a well-rounded fighter who is a threat on the feet and on the ground. During her current winning streak, Nunes has scored five knockouts and three submissions. As noted, each of her wins has come against the best women competitors in the UFC.
Spencer joined the UFC in May 2019. In November 2018 she won the Invicta FC featherweight title. She moved to the UFC before defending that title.
Spencer won her UFC debut via first-round submission. That victory, a first-round submission win over ex-Invicta FC champ Megan Anderson, earned her a matchup against Cyborg. Spencer did not win defeat the former Invicta FC and UFC titleholder, but Spencer did not back down from her much more experienced opponent. Spencer lost that bout by decision.
Spencer has very good ground skills, but she has not faced the level of competition that Nunes has and it feels as if Spencer is being rushed into a fight against Nunes after only nine professional bouts and three UFC contests. On paper, Spencer is overmatched in every category.
I do believe Spencer will give Nunes a solid fight, but I do not see a path for her to defeat the champion.
Pick: Nunes
UFC 250 takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view. ESPN and ESPN+ carry the prelims and ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass broadcast the early prelims.
