Former UFC featherweight title contender Felicia Spencer retires

Felicia Spencer won her last fight with a third round technical knockout, but she announced Thursday that her goal of eventually becoming a UFC champion is over and she's retiring from mixed martial arts.

“I have decided to stop pursuing this opportunity and have no intention to continue fighting," Spencer said in a statement given to FightBananas.com. "I felt as good as I’ve ever been in my last fight, and know I could have more great performances, but after 18 fights, including a few 'wars,' I know in my heart for my future mental health that I shouldn’t be in more of those wars. In the fight game that isn’t guaranteed, and I’ve shown myself that I won’t give up in the cage, so I need to protect myself by just not stepping in there. I’m thinking about myself and family 25 years from now. Mental health is an important consideration in my family.”

Spencer, 31, fought for the UFC featherweight championship in 2020 against Amanda Nunes and lost via unanimous decision. She is, however, one of only three women who managed to reach a judge's decision against Nunes over the course of an ongoing seven-year undefeated stretch. In 2019, Spencer lost a unanimous decision against Cris Cyborg, who has since gone on to finish her next four opponents.

Most recently, Spencer had a dominant performance against Leah Letson in November that was punctuated by a ground-and-pound finish late in the third round. Prior to her time in the UFC, Spencer became the Invicta FC featherweight champion in 2018 with a rear naked choke of Pam Sorenson.

Spencer retires with a 9-3 record as a professional and a 3-3 record in the UFC.