Former UFC title contender Felicia Spencer announces retirement

One-time UFC title challenger Felicia Spencer has decided to call it a career.

Sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Thursday after Spencer first made the surprising announcement about her retirement in a statement issued to FightBananas.com.

“I have decided to stop pursuing this opportunity and have no intention to continue fighting,” Spencer said in the statement. “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, 30, joined the UFC roster in 2019 and quickly picked up a win over fellow former Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson, but then fell to Cris Cyborg in a hard-fought three-round decision.

Another win over Zarah Fairn then earned Spencer the opportunity to compete for UFC gold and but she ultimately came up short in her bid to become champion after falling to Amanda Nunes by unanimous decision at UFC 250.

In her most recent performance, Spencer put on a dominant showcase against Leah Letson to earn a third-round TKO stoppage, which moved her overall record to 9-3.

Now Spencer prepares to move on to other endeavors away from her fight career after announcing her retirement from MMA competition.