Dana White Says He Was ‘Praying’ UFC 250 Main Event Would Be Stopped

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Like many high-level mixed martial artists, Felicia Spencer proved to be almost too tough for her own good on Saturday night.

The former Invicta FC featherweight queen absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment over five rounds in a decision loss to Amanda Nunes in the UFC 250 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Spencer spent the majority of the contest as a punching bag for the two-division champion, but she never showed any quit during 25 difficult minutes.

UFC president Dana White was impressed by Spencer’s resilience, but he recalls hoping that someone involved with the featherweight title bout would step in before the final stanza.

“That woman is one of the toughest human beings I’ve ever seen in my life,” White said of Spencer at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I was praying somebody was going to stop that fight before the start of the fifth round. She’s tough, and you can’t take anything away from her going five rounds with the best to ever do it.”

While Spencer’s toughness was her defining trait on Saturday, Nunes’ ongoing excellence trumped all. “Lioness” won her 11th straight, became the third fighter to successfully defend titles in two divisions and only seems to be getting better.

“Amanda Nunes, I told you guys many times is the GOAT,” White said. “She set the tempo, set the pace of the fight. Did what she wanted, when she wanted to do it. Everything that you could see in an MMA fight, she put out there tonight.”