The women’s featherweight bout between Felicia Spencer and Norma Dumont Viana at UFC Vegas 27, on the surface, seemed like the last gasps of a division in its final days. Neither have a ranking–despite Spencer recently competing for the division title last June–and there are no other planned 145 pound women’s bouts on upcoming events. The fight seemed like a showcase for talent that may be looking for a new home sooner than later.
It took a minute and a half before both women’s striking activity started to pick up. Viana used good kicks to keep her distance and counter strike when Spencer rushed in with combinations. Neither landed much of substance until with a minute left, the Brazilian landed a few strikes in an exchange that forced “Feenom” to grapple unsuccessfully. “The Immortal” likely won the round from being just a smidge more effective in a competitive yet quiet first round.
Norma Dumont Viana scores pivotal win over former title challenger Felicia Spencer
In the second, Viana started building serious confidence and even threw in some trash talk in-between exchanges. Spencer just seemed a step behind in striking exchanges and wasn’t landing the point-scoring strikes her opponent was able to do more frequently. The Canadian also was not able to take the fight to the mat and showcase the skills that earned her a title fight in her last bout.
A minute into the final round, it was Viana and not Spencer who landed the first takedown of the fight. The Brazilian eventually decided to go back to the feet, but with two minutes left Spencer was able make the fight a clinch battle and land some strong elbows against the cage. She defended a trip from her opponent and finished the fight with a minute of top control.
It was a close fight, and it showed in the scorecards as Viana won by way of a split decision. It’s a big win for the Brazilian over a former title contender, and she has now won two straight in the UFC after a knockout debut loss to Megan Anderson in 2020. For Spencer, she has lost two straight for the first time in her career and three of her last four appearances in the Octagon.
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