On Saturday, Felicia Spencer competes in her first pay-per-view main event. It won’t be the first time she’s squared off with a woman considered to be one of the greatest of all-time.
When Spencer fought Cris Cyborg this past summer, the Brazilian star was one fight removed from her first loss in 13 years. The bout carried considerable weight, not only because of the scrutiny Cyborg was facing following a stunning setback against Amanda Nunes, but because it would also provide insight into how far along Spencer was as a featherweight prospect.
Though Spencer lost a unanimous decision, she earned praise for going the distance with the more experienced Cyborg and bounced back from that loss with a first-round TKO of Zarah Fairn in February. That win moved Spencer to the top of the contender rankings and next for her is a shot at Nunes’s championship at UFC 250 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
Spencer learned a lot from the 15 minutes she spent battling Cyborg and she’s bringing that to the octagon with her as she attempts to be more than just another name in the legendary run that Nunes is currently on.
“I definitely see the resemblance,” Spencer told MMA Fighting, in regards to the hype surrounding the Cyborg and Nunes fights. “[The Cyborg fight] did feel like a title fight and I think even some of the commentators made comments about it being a title fight or a five-round fight, something like that was said during the actual event. Media, even afterwards, were like, ‘losing to the champion’ or mentioned that it was five rounds and I had to remind them it wasn’t a championship fight, it was only three rounds.
“I think that the experience just adds to the repertoire. I’ve been through some of the buildup and now it’s actually a little bit less because of the restrictions with media and stuff. It’s less invasive, less stuff going on. I feel like I was so lucky and happy to be given the opportunity to have such a high placement on the card last summer with Cyborg, having the big stage, and now it’s kind of all happening again but this time in the main event, which was super unexpected at first because we were third down initially and then co-main and now we’re the main. I just kind of take the news and then move on. My number one focus is just beating Amanda and then everything that comes after will come after and I’ll enjoy it then.”
Spencer has had plenty to celebrate already. Aside from booking the Nunes fight, the 29-year-old was married in December. Her husband Todd Coppinger, also a fighter, competed for the first time as a pro in February after dealing with injuries for the past two years. He won by first-round knockout.
Coppinger wasn’t cornered by Spencer as she instead watched from the seats, describing herself as “jittery” and grateful to be in the background on fight night for once. Just five years ago, Spencer made her own pro debut with Invicta FC, rattling off six straight wins to start her career capped off by a submission of Pam Sorenson that won her a vacant featherweight title. Less than two years later, she’s fighting for UFC gold.
The rapid ascent is not lost on Spencer.
“Especially since I turned pro, but even before then, the opportunities just escalate quickly,” Spencer said. “My amateur career started off slow, it was really tough to get fights, then all of a sudden I had a few wins and I got called to Vegas to fight in the Tuff-N-Uff tournament, which was a huge deal and such a big thing back then. And then Invicta.
“Really, every year I look back it’s milestones. People are just saying the same thing, ‘Wow, it’s crazy, you’ve done this and this, it’s a crazy year.’ Yeah, every year I look back and it’s a crazy year so it’s kind of the same as usual. The opportunities are incredible and mind-blowing but I feel like this every year, so we’ll see what happens next year.”
Felicia Spencer attacks Zarah Fairn from a dominant position at a UFC Fight Night in Norfolk, Va., on Feb. 29, 2020Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Born in Montreal and raised in Florida, Spencer looks forward to taking the UFC belt on a tour of both Canada and the United States should she defeat Nunes. Spencer is the first Canadian to challenge for a UFC title since Georges St-Pierre returned from retirement and beat middleweight champion Michael Bisping in November 2017.
It’s an opportunity that Spencer was confident she would get after defeating Fairn, though she’s aware that the more established Megan Anderson — who knocked out Norma Dumont Viana the same night as Spencer’s win over Fairn — was in consideration as well. Spencer submitted Anderson in May 2019 and wouldn’t be surprised if they rematch somewhere down the road.
“It was definitely presented after like it could be [Anderson] too, that both were being considered,” Spencer said. “I honestly figured that I would get the first call and if they wanted to make it happen, it would happen. If I didn’t get the first call then so be it. Just the way that they positioned us [with Spencer in the co-main event] on the card also — not that they wanted me to win and not her — but in the situation that happened where we both had great performances, it seemed like I would be the first one. I know Megan and I will probably fight again in the future.”
Spencer is aware she’s still not a household name and that there are fans viewing her as little more than a mandatory challenger for Nunes. When she steps into the octagon at UFC 250, it will be just her 10th pro appearance. Add to that the fact that her fight with Nunes had to be rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic throwing the UFC schedule into disarray and their hasn’t been much time to properly build up their bout.
Regardless of how many are watching and how some may choose to view her contender credentials, Spencer is proud of the hill she’s climbed to get here. And if she has to keep climbing to earn respect, she’s ready to dig in.
“I’ve earned my spot here,” Spencer said. “I understand where people come from especially if they’re not following the sport. I understand the division that I’m in is different and unique. All I stress about is what I can control, which is putting on a great performance and making people want to see me fight. That’s what I always try to do.
“Two out of the three fights I’ve had so far in the UFC have been first-round finishes. The other one was a decision that a lot of people were happy with as far as my performance, other people weren’t, but whatever. All I can do is put my best foot forward and hope the people want to see me again. If not, I’ll keep winning and take my spot.”
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina‘s RJ Davis looked into the possibility of leaving for the NBA before deciding to return for another college season.
Their decisions helped their teams earn top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 and earned both players some preseason honors, too.
Sears was a near-unanimous selection for The Associated Press preseason All-America men’s basketball team released Monday, earning all but one vote from a 55-person national media panel. Davis was right behind him, nabbing 51 votes.
They were joined by Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Auburn forward Johni Broome, Arizona guard Caleb Love and Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. Love and Flagg tied for the final spot, creating a six-man team that includes only the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.
Alabama twin bill
Sears was a key cog in the Crimson Tide’s first trip to the Final Four a year ago, orchestrating one of college basketball’s highest-scoring teams.
The 6-foot-1 guard was named a second-team AP All-America after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He was the first Division I player in 31 years to have 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 three-pointers in a single season while breaking the Alabama single-season record with 26 games with at least 20 points.
Sears worked out for NBA scouts during the offseason before deciding to return to Alabama, earning the Crimson Tide a No. 2 ranking in the preseason AP Top 25.
“I saw the team that we had and I wanted to be a part of it, and bring home Alabama’s first national championship in basketball,” Sears said.
Across the state at rival Auburn, Broome made a quick decision about his future, announcing in April that he would be back for a fifth season.
The 6-10 forward was a third-team AP All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 55% from the floor. With an eye on an NBA future, Broome worked hard on his perimeter shooting during the offseason and his return earned Auburn a No. 11 preseason ranking.
“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to make it as far as I can in March Madness,” Broome said. “When a team shines, everyone shines individually.”
Along Tobacco Road
Like Sears, Davis has similar aspirations after opting to return for his fifth season at North Carolina.
The 6-foot guard was an AP All-American last season and the ACC player of the year after averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists on a team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Davis enters this year within reach of former North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough’s all-time ACC scoring record.
“I know there’s more work to be done,” Davis said. “I know my jersey’s not going up until I leave. So there’s some more records to break and some more work to be done. I’m satisfied but I’m not satisfied, if that makes sense.”
Up the road at Duke, Flagg was the only underclassman on the preseason All-America team after arriving with tons of hype. The 6-9 swingman was the No. 1-rated high school recruit out of Newport, Maine and has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Flagg has the skills of a guard, but can also play inside and has worked hard on his perimeter shooting, giving him the potential to be one of college basketball’s most versatile players. He’s part of a stellar recruiting class that has No. 7 Duke eyeing a deep March run.
Big 12 duo
Dickinson was the biggest move in the transfer portal last spring after leaving Michigan for Kansas. The 7-2 center lived up to the billing, averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.
Love’s decision to return for a second season at No. 10 Arizona has ratcheted up expectations in the desert for the Big 12 rival of Kansas.
The athletic 6-4 guard had a high-scoring career at North Carolina and continued it after transferring to Arizona last season. He was the Pac-12 player of the year and a third-team All-American after averaging 18 points per game and making 92 3-pointers.
Love tested the NBA waters this summer before deciding to return.
“He’s had a very successful college career thus far,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He’s kind of this last generation of player that’s going to get better with this extra year, and so I just encourage him to take advantage of it.”
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will miss the rest of Cleveland‘s season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon on Sunday against Cincinnati, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
Watson will soon undergo surgery, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the results of imaging tests taken on his leg.
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year.
The 29-year-old Watson went down without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson collapsed to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
As he laid on the ground, there was cheering by some Cleveland fans, leading to some of Watson’s teammates criticizing that behavior during the team’s fifth straight loss.
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s divisive stay with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks to Houston and signed him to a fully guaranteed $230 million in 2022. The deal came amid Watson being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions. He settled civil lawsuits in all but one of those cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games with the Browns and then made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
