Former Invicta Champ, UFC Title Challenger Felicia Spencer Announces Retirement

At just 31 years of age, Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Felicia Spencer has decided to hang up her gloves.

Speaking to FightBananas on Thursday, Spencer told the outlet that she informed the UFC that she was retiring. This news comes less than a month removed from her victory over Leah Letson at UFC Fight Night 197, where she finished her opponent in the third round. Spencer turned 31 on Monday.

“I’ve made the decision to be done with my fighting career, if you want to call it a career, I call it more of an opportunity and I’m done pursuing the opportunity,” Spencer explained in the interview. “I’m really happy with where I left off and everything I’ve done. For me and for my personal decisions and everything, it’s time for me to be done, and part of the big reason just to inform everyone there’s not anything that happened to me, it’s just for me and my family, mental health is always been a big, important factor, and I always envisioned not being a fighter that stuck around longer than they should. Even though I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been, I feel like it’s time for me to be done. I’m not interested in having any more wars, I’m happy with where I’ve left my career. So, that’s it for me, guys.”

Spencer, born in Canada but fighting out of Florida, made her professional debut in the ranks of Invicta Fighting Championships. Spending half of her 12-fight career under the Invicta banner, Spencer never lost, capturing the featherweight strap over Pam Sorenson at Invicta FC 32 in 2018 to earn a place on the UFC roster.

From there, the career of “Feenom” went through turbulence as a result of being matched against some of the most feared women in the sport, namely Cristiane Justino and Amanda Nunes. Spencer debuted inside the Octagon by tapping fellow ex-Invicta champ Megan Anderson, and this earned her a matchup against “Cris Cyborg” at UFC 240. Spencer fought valiantly but fell short to the Brazilian juggernaut by decision. Bouncing back by knocking Zarah Fairn dos Santos out in 2020, that victory leapfrogged her to a title shot against Nunes.

Spencer never suffered a stoppage loss in her pro career, losing decisions to Justino, Nunes and later, Norma Dumont. She did snap the only losing streak of her career in November by prevailing over Letson. As a pro, Spencer maintained a high finish rate of 77.8%, while having faced every other woman to hold the Invicta featherweight belt.

Spencer’s whole statement, courtesy of FightBananas, reads as follows:

”I have decided to stop pursuing this opportunity and have no intention to continue fighting. 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.”