UFC Star Amanda Nunes Pounds Spencer To Defend Featherweight Belt; Two-Division Champ Doles Out ‘Bye Felicia’ Beating In Unanimous Decision
By Cassandra Cousineau for LVSportsBiz.com
She might be the most significant champion athlete you’ve never heard of.
Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes sits at the top of two divisions in Las Vegas-based UFC as one the most dominant fighters in MMA history, male or female, with no real threats in sight.
In a way, that’s exactly what a Lioness does. She surveys the landscape and when the time comes she captures her prey.
On Saturday night at a fan-free, closed-door UFC Apex building, one of the premier faces of the promotion took her winning streak to 11 by beating Felicia the “FeeNom” Spencer. The fight, the headline battle for Saturday’s UFC250, was for the women’s featherweight championship, making Nunes her the first fighter in UFC history to make title defenses in two divisions while holding belts in those weight classes.
Nunes pounded Spencer in a dominating performance to win the unanimous decision at the Apex. Nunes goes to 20-4. Spencer drops to 8-2.
Slowly, the Brazilian-born jiu jitsu black belt’s stock as a bonafide marketing star has been on the rise, though slowly. She cashed in earlier this year with a Modelo beer commercial. And with the backing of UFC’s parent company, Endeavor, Nunes hopes to be marketed to the masses similar to the push behind Ronda Rousey. Nunes eviscerated Rousey and won the bantamweight belt in 2016. Rousey hasn’t fought in the UFC since.
When asked about why she hasn’t seen more opportunities outside of the cage, the humble fighter is almost nonplussed by the idea. “I’m a cage fighter,” she told LVSportsbiz.com. “My life in this sport is to make history. Saturday, I will follow that path and make history.”
It could be lonely at the top of a proverbial championship throne in a way that would either make Nunes overly confident, or complacent. Both are further from the truth. Spend five minutes talking with her and it immediately becomes clear she’s in a different class. Not only does she hold belts in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, she is one of the most mentally assured athletes you will meet.
Nicknames of her list of defeated opponents include Rowdy, Cyborg, Bullet, The Iron Lady, and, of course, The Preacher’s Daughter. None have even come close to being a serious threat to Nunes’ rein. Perhaps her newest role will be her greatest challenge yet.
In September, Nunes will be tasked with conquering late night trips to the nursery. With a bounty of genetic gifts, her wife, Nina Ansaroff, the eighth-ranked strawweight in the world, is due to give birth to their daughter.
When the 32-year-old Nunes goes into the UFC Hall of Fame, which she inevitably will, she’ll also carry the title Mom Champ as the first mother to hold belts while fighting for the Dana White-helmed promotion. Her perspective hasn’t changed when it comes to her fighting career. “Happiness is the best thing my baby is bringing me right now.”
“The baby is something to help you grow as a person; as a human. You have something else to think about. Be a mother, be a champion, cool. It’s not something I think about really. I wanna retire as a champion. Mother champ, whatever the best.”
Unlike many on the UFC roster, Amanda Nunes has been well compensated for her efforts as of late. Her past two fights have guaranteed her a purse of $350,000 with the possibility to grow to $450,000 when she wins.
Nunes expected to win not just Saturday, but every time she has stepped into the cage. She often speaks of visualizing her success. “I will follow my path. I want to be a champion forever, regarded as a mother champ, as a whatever.”
On the betting front on the Nunes match, Darren Rovell tweeted this:
In other UFC 250 fight news:
/ Cody Garbrandt wants Pete Yan on Fight Island.
/ Cody Stamann fought with a heavy heart and pulled out a dominant win over Brian Kelleher. He’s headed back to Michigan to attend the funeral services of his 18-year-old brother.
/ UFC staff cleaned mic, chair, and table in between use as winning fighters came to the media tent.
/ Gilbert Burns says UFC Prez Dana White has confirmed “Fight Island” is in Abu Dhabi.
/ Alex Caceres walked out to Man in the Mirror on his way to defeating Chase Hopper. He took a minute to reflect what that means when thinking about the state of social change.
/ Conor McGregor tweeted that he’s retiring.
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