After an momentous win over Megan Anderson, Felicia Spencer is ready to be the future of women’s 145.
Rochester, NY — If you pay attention to those sorts of things, Felicia Spencer entered UFC Rochester the underdog. Maybe not as sizeable of one as some might have expected, but Megan Anderson, with two UFC fights under her belt, was expected to pick up the win. Spencer, like Anderson, was a fellow former Invicta FC champ, and undefeated. She didn’t, however, have the same level of competition as Anderson.
That was the going thinking. As often happens in MMA, it didn’t work out that way. Spencer got Anderson down. Took the back, flattened the six foot tall fighter out. Locked up the rear-naked choke. Proved the doubters wrong.
Spencer acknowledged that following the fight. Speaking to media members including Cageside Press, she noted that there were those who expected her to lose. “Some people did,” she said.
“People have talked about levels through the game, this and that. Invicta is a high-level promotion,” Spencer explained of her former home. When you look at it, Invicta is really one of the few promotions to offer women’s featherweight. “People I have faced, their records may not be stacked, some of them. But they were tough athletes who I think would perform well, if they kept fighting.”
It’s also a lifetime of experience that has brought Felicia Spencer to this point. “I’ve been training and doing martial arts my whole life. So everything that comes at me, I’ve seen before at some point.” Regardless where that might be. “Standing, on the ground, on the cage. I’m prepared everywhere. I’ve been doing [this] like I said, twenty-four years.”
“I’m just honored and excited that I had a chance to put it on display tonight, and everything went exactly like I’d hoped.”
Spencer knew that she’d face Anderson long enough. That went right back to a face-off they had in the Invicta cage roughly a year ago. “I knew our paths would cross, and I thought the sooner the better.”
“Anyone that comes, anyone that’s lined up to fight me, I’m ready to go. Everyone has their own challenges, Megan included,” she elaborated on her approach to opponents. It’s why the height factor never bothered her. No, six inches didn’t impress her. Her quick submission of Anderson Saturday proved that. “I didn’t want to overlook her by any means. She’s definitely still very skilled and talented, and everyone should still be on the lookout for her skills. I just knew my skills would be able to trump hers tonight.”
After the fight, the two exchanged words of support. “She said she was really proud of me. It was really nice to hear from her. I told her, it’s no bad blood or anything,” Spencer recalled. “Any time I’m not fighting her, I’m going to be probably rooting for her to win. I think we both feel like we’re carrying the featherweight division a little bit on our shoulders.”
Carrying the weight class, which has barely half a dozen fighters, means putting on a show. “Having a good performance is great for the division, it’s great for me tonight, but hopefully ultimately it’s good for her too that we had a good fight tonight, an exciting performance. I’m looking forward to seeing her back in the cage soon.”
Many had tabbed Anderson as the future of the women’s featherweight division. “I always knew it was me. I just wasn’t here yet,” Spencer countered.
As for what comes next, well, Spencer carried the Canadian flag into the octagon following the win. There’s a big card coming up in Edmonton — UFC 240, at the end of July. Asked about that possibility of appearing there, Spencer said that “I’d have to think and get back to my team and everything and talk about that. There’s definitely a lot going on for me, but if that’s what the UFC wants, then I’d be able to make it happen.”
Later, she added that “I’m so grateful to be in the position I’m in. To be able to represent my team, my division in such a great way, and put some light on it. Hopefully this will help it grow, help the featherweight division grow, and just have people believe in it more. And know that we’re here to stay.”
All the UFC needs to do is add more names. “Definitely. I was told that they were signing more, but whatever they have for me next is fine with me.”
Watch the full UFC Rochester post-fight press scrum with Felicia Spencer above!
