Tag: Felicia Spencer

Fighters lash out at Felicia Spencer’s corner for not stopping UFC 250 loss to Amanda Nunes

Should the towel have been thrown in sooner?

[autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] was on the wrong end of a one-way beating from Amanda Nunes in Saturday’s UFC 250 main event.

The extent of the beating got a strong reaction out of of several fighters on social media, who thought Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) should’ve been saved by her corner before the fight went the full five rounds. Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) won by unanimous decision in the pay-per-view headliner, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Did Spencer’s corner, or even referee Herb Dean, fail the Canadian fighter by not calling off the bout when it was clearly out of reach? That was a hot topic of debate during the UFC 250 headliner. Check below for fighter reactions on Twitter.

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[opinary poll=”should-felicia-spencers-corner-have-stop-nbCSXn” customer=”mmajunkie”]

UFC 250 results: Amanda Nunes mauls Felicia Spencer for 11th straight win to defend title

Amanda Nunes made it look easy.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] added another marker in her claim for the title of greatest women’s MMA fighter of all time on Saturday night.

Defending her UFC featherweight title for the first time since she dethroned Cris Cyborg in December 2018, Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC) rolled over [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] for her 11th consecutive victory in the main event of UFC 250.

An incredibly tough Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) made it to the final horn, but she survived a mauling. The judges scores were 50-44, 50-44, and 50-45 for a unanimous decision.

“I wasn’t surprised. I know she was tough,” Nunes said in a nod to her opponent’s toughness. “I knew what she was capable of.”

Nunes also has been bantamweight champion since July 2016, making her the longest reigning current UFC champion of either gender. She’s defended the 135-pound belt twice since winning the featherweight belt, so Saturday night’s victory made Nunes the first champ-champ in UFC history to successfully defend both titles while holding them.

[lawrence-related id=525091,524758,524812]

It became clear early that while Spencer is a tough and tenacious opponent, she’s simply not on Nunes’ level. In the opening round, Nunes landed a couple of bombs, which caused Spencer to go for a defensive clinch. Nunes, however, executed a pinpoint trip, then spent the remainder of the round winning the positional battle on the ground and landing elbows that cut Spencer open.

In the second, Nunes continued imposing her will, using jab-overhand right combos that kept Spencer backpedaling. When Spencer shot for a takedown, Nunes parried, adjusted and turned it into a takedown of her own.

By this point, it was clear the fight was going to end whenever Nunes felt like it. Nunes kept it standing in the third and landed at will as the fight started to feel like more of a sparring contest. Nunes sent Spencer’s mouthpiece flying with an overhand right. Spencer’s takedown attempts got sloppy. Nunes rocked Spencer with a brutal uppercut in the final minute. Leg kicks added up as Spencer began to visibly limp.

If nothing else, Spencer’s toughness proved to be otherworldly, which was demonstrated in the fifth, as Nunes landed shot after shot after shot. Nunes went for the kill late in the round and had a tight rear-naked choke applied as the horn sounded.

Spencer emerged from the fourth sporting a nasty hematoma on her forehead, but her corner sent her back out for the fifth. The fight hit the mat as Nunes delivered elbows that rendered Spencer a bloody mess. In the final minute, referee Herb Dean called a timeout, but the doctor cleared Spencer to finish the fight.

Nunes, who hasn’t lost since 2014, recorded her fourth career decision win. Spencer has dropped two of her past three.

The women’s featherweight title bout was the UFC 250 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 250 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Amanda Nunes’ historic title defense against Felicia Spencer at UFC 250

See the top Twitter reactions to Amanda Nunes’ title defense against Felicia Spencer in the UFC 250 main event.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] further entrenched herself as the top female fighter of all-time on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] in the UFC 250 main event.

Nunes (20-4 MMA, 13-1 UFC), who is also the UFC bantamweight champ, defended her featherweight title against Spencer (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) by lopsided unanimous decision in the pay-per-view headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, making her the first in UFC history to register defenses in two divisions while simultaneously holding two belts.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Nunes’ victory over Spencer at UFC 250.

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https://twitter.com/TheTruthJackson/status/1269489166770941954

UFC 250 featuring Nunes vs. Spencer Preview, Fight Card, Live Stream, How to Watch

Amanda Nunes will be defending her title tonight while taking on Felicia Spencer at UFC 250, live stream all the action right here.

UFC 250 is upon us and should be the best UFC event we’ve seen since Dana White and his crew have brought back live MMA fights. With 12 fights on the card, headlined by the title match between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer, this is looking like a phenomenal fight card.

Amanda “Lioness” Nunes vs. Felicia “Feenom” Spencer

  • Date: Saturday, June 6, 2020
  • Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, NV
  • Prelims: 8:00 pm ET
  • Main Card: 10:00 pm ET
  • Live Stream: ESPN+ (Sign Up Now)

This will be the first time that Amanda Nunes will be defending her featherweight title since beating Cyborg in UFC 232. She is currently on a 10-fight win streak and has beaten every former women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion to date. Spencer on the other hand has only one loss and it was a decision against Cris Cyborg where she gave her all and was credited for her toughness.

A few other notable fights on the card include Aljamain Sterling, who’s on a four-fight win streak and ranked #2 in the bantamweight division taking on unbeaten Cory Sandhagen who’s currently on a seven-fight win streak and ranked #4. Then we have the always impressive fan-favorite Sean O’Malley, who will look to extend his unbeaten streak to 12-0.

UFC 250 Main Card (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – Women’s Featherweight Championship

Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt – Bantamweight

Aljamain Sterling vs. Cory Sandhagen – Bantamweight

Neil Magny vs. Anthony Rocco Martin – Welterweight

Eddie Wineland vs. Sean O’Malley – Bantamweight

UFC 250 Prelims (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+)

Alex Caceres vs. Chase Hooper – Featherweight

Ian Heinisch vs. Gerald Meerschaert – Middleweight

Cody Stamann vs. Brian Kelleher – Featherweight

Charles Byrd vs. Maki Pitolo – Middleweight

UFC 250 Early Prelims (6:00 p.m. ET, Fight Pass)

Jussier Formiga vs. Alex Perez – Flyweight

Alonzo Menifield vs. Devin Clark – Light Heavyweight

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UFC 250 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Biggest key to cutting weight? ‘Don’t be a (expletive)’

UFC 250 takes place Saturday, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready for fight night.

The UFC returns to the fight capital of the world for UFC 250 this Saturday, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series is back to help build the excitement ahead of the action.

UFC 250 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, UFC dual champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts her featherweight title on the line for the first time when she takes on former Invicta FC champ, [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). In the co-main event, skidding bantamweights look to rebound, as [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) faces former UFC bantamweight champ [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who’s coming off a layoff of more than a year.

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card as they arrive in Las Vegas. Here’s the UFC’s description:

Cardio, baths and the Vegas sun help with weight cuts. Weigh-ins go smoothly for Cody Garbrandt, Raphael Assuncao, Aljamain Sterling, Cory Sandhagen, Eddie Wineland and Sean O’Malley, and the title fight between Felicia Spencer and Amanda Nunes is on.

Also see:

UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer live streaming watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio on SportsCastr

Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live UFC 250 watch-along on SportsCastr.

UFC 250 takes place Saturday night with two title fights atop the bill, and MMA Junkie Radio hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live streaming watch-along via SportsCastr that kicks off during the preliminary card at 8:30 p.m. ET.

In the main event, [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] defends her women’s featherweight title against [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag]. And in the co-headliner, former bantamweight champion [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag]. It’s a big night of action in the 135-pound division with three pivotal fights in all.

UFC 250 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Here are the eight fights included in tonight’s watch-along:

  • Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s featherweight title
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Neil Magny vs. Anthony Rocco Martin
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Eddie Wineland
  • Alex Caceres vs. Chase Hooper
  • Ian Heinisch vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Brian Kelleher vs. Cody Stamann

Be sure to check back and follow @MMAjunkie, @MMAjunkieRadio and @SportsCastrLive on Twitter to be notified when the guys go live.

UFC 250 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Behind the scenes of virtual media day

UFC 250 takes place Saturday, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready for fight night.

The UFC returns to the fight capital of the world for UFC 250 this Saturday, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series is back to help build the excitement ahead of the action.

UFC 250 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, UFC dual champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts her featherweight title on the line for the first time when she takes on former Invicta FC champ, [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). In the co-main event, skidding bantamweights look to rebound, as [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) faces former UFC bantamweight champ [autotag]Cody Garbrandt [/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who’s coming off a layoff of more than a year.

The second episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card as they arrive in Las Vegas. Here’s the UFC’s description:

At the PI, Raphael Assuncao FaceTimes his family and Amanda Nunes trains. Felicia Spencer, Sean O’Malley and Eddie Wineland talk to reporters remotely. Chase Hooper addresses his ancestry. Cody Garbrandt meets with the show’s commentary team.

Also see:

Twitter Mailbag: How to book welterweight, ATT drama, UFC 250 pay-per-view expectations

What UFC matchups should be made at welterweight? What’s up with the latest drama at American Top Team? Will UFC 250 bomb on pay-per-view?

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in MMA or the sport in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag is here – and this week it’s @MikeBohnMMA to answer:

  • How should UFC matchmake the welterweight division?
  • Why isn’t [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] locked into the next title fight?
  • What’s the future of the flyweight division?
  • What’s next for [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag]?
  • Is [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] worthy of a pay-per-view headliner?

Those are answered in the video above. You can also read on a few more topics below.

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Will the fact that Poirier still uses the services of Phil Daru impact the relationship Dustin has with Jorge? I ask as last week Jorge took shots at Daru who recently left ATT to focus on his own ventures.

The drama around American Top Team doesn’t stop, does it? This one is a little bit interesting to me, but at this moment I’m not really expecting any real issues to rise from it.

Yes, Jorge Masvidal did put strength and conditioning coach Phil Daru on blast for leaving ATT. The story didn’t gain much traction because it came right on the heels of Colby Covington’s departure, but Masvidal thought Daru was more interested in using the big names from the gym to build his own brand before splitting from the team to do his own thing.

Daru is still in South Florida, though, and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] has been seen working with him on social media. Poirier has also been seen training closely with Masvidal, which leads to your question about whether this is going to create some tension. I don’t think it will right now, for a couple reasons:

  • 1) Poirier has been working with Daru for a while now. He has a main event with Dan Hooker coming up on June 27, and it’s one of the most important fights of Poirier’s career following his title-fight loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in September. He needs to rebound, and for him to drop Daru at this stage would be a self-inflicted wound that would throw his preparation into some disarray.
  • 2) Masvidal and Poirier are boys. I’ve never heard these two say a bad word about each other in all my years of interviewing them, and although “Gamebred” may have issues with Daru, I think he’s been around the game long enough to understand that differences in opinion happen and his experiences with Daru may not align with the relationship Poirier has formed.

It’s possible the situation changes in the aftermath of Poirier’s fight with Hooker, but to answer the question bluntly: No, I don’t think this causes any strife between “The Diamond” and Masvidal.

Will Alistair Overeem fight for the UFC belt before end of his career?

I hope to see it, honestly. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] was one of the fighters that got me into MMA and combat sports, and it’s rather remarkable that at 40 he’s still here fighting at the highest level, winning UFC main events. I think there’s a path for him to the title, but winning in that moment is a much steeper task.

A victor in four of his past five, I don’t think it’s unrealistic one more win could put Overeem in another heavyweight title fight. It might take two. But who will be holding the belt once he gets there? Stipe Miocic or Francis Ngannou seem like the most likely candidates, given Daniel Cormier is almost certain to be retired and Jon Jones’ heavyweight plans have seemingly fizzled.

Overeem has already come up short against both Miocic and Ngannou. He lost his first UFC title opportunity to Miocic at UFC 203 in September 2016, but came within seconds of winning when he dropped Miocic (who proceeded to tap out, of course). Then there’s the Ngannou fight from UFC 217 in December 2017, which remains one of the great knockouts in UFC history as “The Predator” hit Overeem with an uppercut that was winded up from another planet.

Given his competitive nature, Overeem would surely love the chance to get either of those losses back. And it’s not unreasonable to think it will happen.

You got a spare bedroom I can stay in until all this (expletive) blows over? I’m not crazy. I promise.

You are not the first to ask me this question, friend. I would like to take in all those looking to flee from America or elsewhere during this crazy time in our world, as I am a kind Canadian. But alas, it’s just not feasible.

I do in fact have a single spare bedroom, though. So, how do you make yourself the frontrunner? A few questions: Are you tidy? Can you cook? Do you have good taste in Netflix shows? Not crazy is a good start, but let’s strengthen the argument a little bit and perhaps I’ll consider it.

To ask a question of your own, follow @MMAjunkie on Twitter and let us know.

UFC 250 predictions: Is anyone picking big underdog Felicia Spencer to upset dual champ Amanda Nunes?

Check out our staff members’ picks for UFC 250, featuring dual champ Amanda Nunes vs. featherweight challenger Felicia Spencer.

Nunes
vs.
Spencer		 Assuncao
vs.
Garbrandt		 Sandhagen
vs.
Sterling		 Magny
vs.
Martin		 O’Malley
vs.
Wineland
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 46-32		 nunes2020
Nunes
(75%)		 garbrandt2020
Garbrandt
(54%)		 sandhagen2020
Sandhagen
(53%)		 magny2020
Magny
(76%)		 omalley2020
O’Malley
(89%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 58-20		 nunes2020
Nunes		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sterling2020
Sterling		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 57-21		 nunes2020
Nunes		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sterling2020
Sterling		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 55-23		 nunes2020
Nunes		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sandhagen2020
Sandhagen		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 55-23		 nunes2020
Nunes		 garbrandt2020
Garbrandt		 sandhagen2020
Sandhagen		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 54-24
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 nunes2020
Nunes		 garbrandt2020
Garbrandt		 sterling2020
Sterling		 martin2020
Martin		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 54-24
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 nunes2020
Nunes		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sterling2020
Sterling		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 53-25
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 nunes2020
Nunes		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sandhagen2020
Sandhagen		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 53-25		 nunes2020
Nunes		 garbrandt2020
Garbrandt		 sterling2020
Sterling		 martin2020
Martin		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 53-25
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 nunes2020
Nunes		 garbrandt2020
Garbrandt		 sterling2020
Sterling		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 52-26		 nunes2020
Nunes		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sandhagen2020
Sandhagen		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 51-27		 nunes2020
Nunes		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sandhagen2020
Sandhagen		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 48-30		 nunes2020
Nunes		 garbrandt2020
Garbrandt		 sterling2020
Sterling		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 44-34		 nunes2020
Nunes		 garbrandt2020
Garbrandt		 sterling2020
Sterling		 magny2020
Magny		 omalley2020
O’Malley
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 33-45		 spencer2020
Spencer		 assuncao2020
Assuncao		 sandhagen2020
Sandhagen		 magny2020
Magny		 wineland2020
Wineland

The UFC is back Saturday with an event headlined by arguably the greatest women’s fighter of all time.

UFC 250 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) puts her 145-pound title on the line for the first time against challenger [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Nunes is the huge favorite at -650, and not surprisingly she’s a near-unanimous choice in the picks from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts – only one of whom is picking Spencer in a major upset.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) takes on former bantamweight champion [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a key contenders fight. Garbrandt is a slight favorite at -150, but it’s Assuncao with a slight 8-6 lead in the picks from our staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in another important bantamweight bout. The fight is a virtual pick’em from the oddsmakers, and it’s close with our pickers, as well. Sterling has the edge at 8-6.

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (22-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) is a -135 favorite against [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in a welterweight fight. But despite those close odds at the sports books, Magny has a huge 12-2 lead over Martin in our picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is the second biggest favorite on the card in his fight against former WEC bantamweight champ [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag] (24-13-1 MMA, 6-7 UFC). With O’Malley a -550 favorite, only one of our pickers is taking Wineland to pull off what would be the biggest upset of his career.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Nunes (75 percent), Garbrandt (54 percent), Sandhagen (53 percent), Magny (76 percent) and O’Malley (89 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

UFC 250 breakdown: Does Felicia Spencer have any underdog upset shot against Amanda Nunes?

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC 250 main event between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer.

[jwplayer Dv2A319Y-FLu19iir]

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC 250.

UFC 250 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Amanda Nunes (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’8″ Age: 32 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 69″
  • Last fight: Decision win over Germaine de Randamie (Dec. 14, 2019)
  • Camp: American Top Team (Florida)
  • Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
  • Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:
+ UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Judo brown belt
+ 13 KO victories
+ 3 submission win
+ 13 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Underrated footwork
+ Improved jab
+ Dangerous right hand
+ Hard leg kicks
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Good hip awareness
+ Solid top game

Felicia Spencer (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)

Staple info:

  • Height: 5’6″ Age: 29 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 68″
  • Last fight: TKO win over Zarah Fairn (Feb. 29, 2020)
  • Camp: The Jungle MMA (Florida)
  • Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
  • Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:
+ Invicta FC featherweight title
+ Taekwondo black belt
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 2 KO victory
+ 4 submission wins
+ 4 first-round finishes
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Diverse striking arsenal
^ Kickboxing attacks, stance-shifting attacks
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Serviceable wrestling and takedowns
^ Relentless chains and scrambles
+ Superb transitional grappler
^ Excellent back-taker

Point of interest: Striking with the Lioness

The main event for UFC 250 features a featherweight title fight between two females who aren’t afraid of a little traffic on the feet.

[autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag], who is a serviceable, come-forward kickboxer, carries a black belt in tae kwon do that speaks loudly within her style.

Staying light on her feet and not afraid to shift stances, Spencer can unleash everything from ax to hook kicks off her lead leg to front teeps and round kicks from the rear. When feeling in stride, Spencer does a decent job of attaching punches to her striking flow, but her defense is also most culpable at these times.

Shifting attacks alone tend to open up even the best of strikers to harsh weather by nature, so Spencer will have to really prioritize head movement and level-changes to avoid any abrupt stops or counters. In fact, changing her level/using the looming takedown threats could serve her well standing, especially should Spencer fake a takedown to a head kick a la Frankie Edgar-style.

Still, no matter Spencer’s approach, she can’t afford to get too creative before getting to her preferred points of entry. Striking comfort aside, she will be standing across a fast and formidable fighter come Saturday night.

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Enter [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag].

A fighter who came storming aggressively out of the gates, Nunes has had to refine her natural aptitude for combat. Training boxing since she was 16, Nunes has rounded out her game with effective muay Thai since entering MMA.

Initially forcing her way into exchanges (and producing quick results in doing so), Nunes has slowly sharpened her skills, smartly adjusting her pressuring approach. Most notably, Nunes has improved her footwork, circling just outside of range as opposed to rushing right in.

Intelligently circling or taking the appropriate angles, the double champ has been able to improve her distance management, striking technique and shot selection, making the power coming off of her frame more potent in the process. This, coupled with Nunes’ upgraded jab and feints, could help her dissuade the offense that may be coming her way.

Nunes has also proven to use her jab much more efficiently to set up her crosses and hooks, as well as utilizing it as a check to either the head or body to help exit exchanges safely.

Even though Nunes has proven in recent years that she can conduct herself accordingly in the striking department for prolonged periods of time, I see this being a battle that will require a lot of effort in regards to keeping things on the feet.

Next point of interest: Wrestling wears

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