Perhaps the only challenge left for Amanda Nunes is discovering whether she has a contemporary who's worthy of a classic rivalry. Another new foe gets that chance on Saturday when rising star Felicia Spencer takes on Nunes, who is defending her featherweight belt for the first time, at UFC 250 in Las Vegas. The main UFC 250 fight card starts at 10 p.m. ET. Nunes has disposed of her last 10 opponents with relative ease, with a split decision against Valentina Shevchenko the closest call.
Now, she faces a hungry prospect in Spencer, who is getting a title shot in just her fourth UFC appearance. Nunes is a -650 favorite (risk $650 to win $100), while Spencer is going off as a +475 underdog (risk $100 to win $475) in the latest Nunes vs. Spencer odds at William Hill. In the co-main event atop the UFC 250 card, former title challenger Cody Garbrandt (-150) takes on Raphael Assuncao (+125) in a battle of bantamweight contenders. Before making any UFC 250 picks of your own, make sure you check out what SportsLine MMA analyst Kyle Marley has to say.
Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and also appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and DFS shows. Over the past 15 months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up more than $20,000.
The accomplished MMA analyst has been on fire and is coming off a strong 8-3 mark for UFC Fight Night last weekend. He also has nailed a whopping eight consecutive main-event winners, which includes five straight underdogs.
Last week, he told SportsLine members to expect a unanimous-decision win for Gilbert Burns (+150) against Tyron Woodley (-170) in the welterweight main event. He reasoned that Burns' edge in activity level and aggression would be the difference, and that's exactly what happened as the No. 6-rated Burns dominated the fading former champion from the opening bell. Anyone who has consistently followed Marley is way up.
Now with UFC 250 fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every fight. He's only sharing those selections here.
Nunes vs. Spencer preview
Nunes (19-4) is now widely considered the top female MMA fighter of all time. Her legacy started with her 48-second destruction of Ronda Rousey in December 2016 and was cemented with a 51-second knockout of Cyborg two years later. The hard-punching Brazilian was 9-4 in her MMA career following a stoppage loss to Cat Zingano in September 2014. She has since won 10 straight bouts, seven coming by stoppage, while becoming a two-division titleholder. The 32-year-old also won the bantamweight title from Miesha Tate at UFC 200 and has successfully defended it five times.
Spencer (8-1), 29, has emerged as a rising star on the strength of three strong performances in the UFC while going 2-1. Her lone defeat came in a competitive decision loss to Cyborg last July. The Canadian bounced back with a first-round stoppage of Zarah Fairn Dos Santos in February. There are many observers who believe her varied skill set and resilience provide a legitimate threat to Nunes. You can only see Marley's Spencer vs. Nunes picks here.
Top UFC 250 predictions
We'll reveal one of Marley's UFC 250 predictions here: He's backing Cory Sandhagen (+100) to upset Aljamain Sterling (-120) in a matchup of bantamweight contenders. It is widely believed the winner will fight for the division's now-vacant title.
The second-ranked Sterling (18-3) is regarded as one of the division's most well-rounded fighters. The "Funk Master" has won six of his past seven bouts and is riding a four-fight winning streak. He took a decision win over fellow contender Pedro Munhoz last June.
Sandhagen (12-1), ranked No. 4, has emerged as one of the UFC's rising stars over the past couple of years. He has won all five of his bouts with the promotion, with three coming by stoppage. He went 3-0 last year and will be making his first appearance of 2020.
"I like Sandhagen a lot more on his feet, and he is dangerous on the ground himself," Marley told SportsLine.
How to make UFC 250 picks
Marley also has strong picks for Nunes vs. Spencer and every other bout on the UFC 250 card. He's also backing one fighter who "can win by knockout, submission, or decision." You can see those UFC picks at SportsLine.
Who wins Nunes vs. Spencer? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight on the UFC 250 card, all from the accomplished MMA expert who's up more than $20,000 and has nailed eight straight main event winners, and find out.
UFC 250 odds
Amanda Nunes (-650) vs. Felicia Spencer (+475)
Cody Garbrandt (-150) vs. Raphael Assuncao (+125)
Aljamain Sterling (-120) vs. Cory Sandhagen (+100)
Neil Magny (-150) vs. Anthony Rocco Martin (+125)
Sean O'Malley (-490) vs. Eddie Wineland (+370)
Chase Hooper (-180) vs. Alex Caceres (+155)
Ian Heinisch (-125) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+105)
Cody Stamann (-270) vs. Brian Kelleher (+220)
Charles Byrd (-180) vs. Maki Pitolo (+155)
Alex Perez (-135) vs. Jussier Formiga (+115)
Alonzo Menifield (-220) vs. Devin Clark (+180)
Herbert Burns (-220) vs. Evan Dunham (+180)