Former women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (20-2, 17 KOs) will meet undefeated Felicia Spencer (7-0, 1 KO, 4 SUBs) at UFC 240 on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET.
For nearly 15 years and 20 straight fights, Cris Cyborg demolished every fighter put in front of her - culminating in a UFC championship. But in her last fight, she was crushed by Amanda Nunes in less than a minute, ending the most dominant run in women’s MMA history.
Not only did Cyborg lose her title, she was beaten at her own game. This Saturday, the MMA world will be watching how she bounces back. Standing across from her in Edmonton will be the undefeated Felicia Spencer, a 7-0 submission specialist whose going from 0 to 100 after just one successful fight in the octagon. To her credit, she captured the Invicta FC featherweight title to earn a shot inside the UFC.
Time will tell whether the featherweight division will be around in the near future. Dana White has made almost zero attempt at filling it out, but in his defense there just aren’t that many 145-pounders out there. Plus, Amanda Nunes - a bantamweight by trade - currently holds the belt. We can assume that the winner of this fight will challenge for the title, simply because there’s literally nobody else in the weight class.
But let’s take a look at the UFC odds in the BookMaker.eu online sportsbook. Unsurprisingly, Cyborg opened as a big favorite - but what’s the best bet here? And if your original bet isn’t looking so hot, live UFC betting lets you bet between rounds as well.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cris Cyborg -800
Felicia Spencer +502
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +425 / -675
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Cyborg 6.76 / Spencer 0
Accuracy: Cyborg 57% / Spencer N/A
Absorbed per minute: Cyborg 3.42 / Spencer N/A
Defense: Cyborg 69% / Spencer N/A
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Cyborg 0.9 / Spencer 0
Takedown accuracy: Cyborg 60% / Spencer N/A
Takedown defense: Cyborg 91% / Spencer N/A
Submission average: Cyborg 0 / Spencer 0
Bet this UFC fight at the online sportsbook now
Both Spencer and Cyborg are one dimensional fighters, making this an easy fight to break down. If this stays standing, Cyborg should add yet another bone-crushing KO to her highlight reel. If Spencer gets this to the mat, she’s got a much better chance at winning the fight.
A short, stout grappler who has not shredded to her optimal body fat percentage, Spencer will likely end up at 135 pounds sooner than later. This could actually be the fight that triggers that move - getting battered by brutes like Cyborg would be a persuasive argument. She was able to win her Invicta title fight against Pam Sorenson by grinding, and that is her only realistic shot here. Even then, she’d be dealing with a much more powerful Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
The big question here is how Cyborg recovers from that loss. At 33, she’s at the tail end of her prime, but Nunes might make her second-guess her all-offense, no-defense style. She’s shown the ability to be patient, like when she outpointed Holly Holm, but her instincts to brawl simply might be too powerful to resist.
UFC Odds Pick: Cyborg to win by TKO
Spencer really doesn’t have any paths to victory here - she will be completely out of her element striking with Cyborg and doesn’t have the natural strength to bully the former champ. Even if we see a more patient Brazilian, at some point a violent flurry will put Spencer away.
UFC Odds Pick: Fight doesn’t go to decision at -675
Cyborg is a -800 favorite, which barely even registers as a parlay booster. The better price is the prop that the fight doesn’t go to decision, which is slightly cheaper and protects you from a crazy upset.
Bet UFC odds at the online sportsbook now!
