UFC 240: Methods to Victory – Felicia Spencer
UFC 240 marks not only Felicia Spencer’s first UFC title fight, but also her second bout with the organisation. With Spencer facing the formidable Cris Cyborg in the co-main event of UFC 240, it appears the odds are heavily stacked against her, despite being undefeated in her professional MMA career (7-0-0). She has only had one previous UFC fight against Megan Anderson in May, winning by rear naked choke in the first round and is a massive underdog against the powerful Cyborg on Saturday night.
What is going to be pivotal for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist is to get Cyborg to the ground, and doing so as early as possible to avoid the devastating power that Cyborg possesses. 4 of the 7 MMA wins under Spencer’s belt have come as a result of rear-naked chokes, which I believe will be a key component in this fight as she aims for a submission victory.
Unlike previous opponents of Cyborg, Spencer is a natural featherweight and is not undersized. This will mean it’s unlikely she will be bulldozed like many of Cyborg’s opponents in her 13 year unbeaten streak, which lasted until her surprising KO loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 in December.
It is that loss which could potentially be an integral factor to Spencer getting the win on Saturday night. Undoubtedly Cyborg’s confidence was knocked following her defeat, which could mean she approaches the Octagon more tentatively playing into the hands of Spencer, who through her exceptional ground game will be able to pick up on any mistakes Cyborg makes.
The best opportunity for Spencer to get a victory over Cyborg will be to get her down as early as possible, and exhaust her while using her creative Jiu-Jitsu skills in order to get Cyborg into a dangerous position and get the victory. It is undoubtedly going to be an interesting fight on Saturday evening to see whether Cyborg bounces back from UFC 232 or whether Spencer, through her ground game, will be able to take advantage of any slip ups Cyborg may make and continue her undefeated record as she seeks a chance at UFC gold.
By Sam Billington
Sports journalist based in CA, USA.
Twitter: @ArionArmeniakos
