ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Montreal featherweight Felicia (Feenom) Spencer made an impressive UFC debut Saturday night, choking out Australian Megan Anderson on a UFC Fight Night card.
The bout was a battle of former Invicta FC featherweight champions.
In the main event at Blue Cross Arena, former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos submitted Kevin (The Motown Phenom) Lee via arm triangle at 3:47 of the fourth round in a welterweight bout.
The win snapped a two-fight losing streak for Dos Anjos (29-11-0). Lee (17-5-0) has lost two straight and three of his last four.
The five-foot-six Spencer, who trains in Orlando, Fla., was giving away six inches in height and four inches in reach to Anderson, who trains in Kansas City.
After some initial striking, Spencer (7-0-0) pulled Anderson down to the ground, forced her to roll over with punches and clamped onto her back. Then she flattened out the lanky Australian, sunk in a rear-naked choke and forced Anderson (9-4-0) to tap at 3:24 of the first round.
"I've been doing this my whole life. That's what I do," said Spencer, a Canadian flag over her shoulder.
"Tonight was a perfect night," she added.
Spencer, 28, won the vacant 145-pound Invicta title in November when she submitted Pam Sorenson at Invicta FC 32. The 28-year-old, who currently trains in Orlando, Fla., has won all six pro fights.
The 29-year-old Anderson came into the fight 1-1-0 in the UFC, losing to Holly Holm before beating Cat Zingano last time out in December in a bout halted after an Anderson kick caught Zingano in the eye.
Earlier Saturday, Canadian lightweight Charles (Air) Jourdain lost a unanimous decision to local favourite Desmond (The Predator) Green .
The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Green (23-8-0).
"Hats off to Charles," said Green. "(A) double champ in (Montreal's) TKO (promotion), he's a hell of a fighter."
Jourdain (9-2-0), was greeted by a chorus of boos from the hometown crowd as he made his UFC debut. The native of Beloeil, Que., who normally fights a weight class below at featherweight, had won his last four fights but came in as a heavy underdog.
Green had the better of the striking in the first round and took Jourdain down with 90 seconds remaining. Jourdain landed some leg kicks in the second, seemingly growing in confidence as the round wore on.
Jourdain continued with the kicks in the third and started pressuring Green. But he was taken down three times as the clock wound down.
Jourdain fought his way back and chased Green in the final seconds.
The Canadian Press