Felicia Spencer to try to solve Amanda Nunes at UFC 250

Spencer plans to tap into the lessons she has taught her students.

“The reason I love to teach algebra is because it’s not about the math, it’s about the mental capacity to see a problem and solve it,” said Spencer, who taught in Florida up until last month. “I think that really translates into fighting as well. I think I’m a very composed fighter. And when I’m composed, I can see a problem and find a way to solve it. I think that plays hand-in-hand with what I’m up against.”

Nunes will put the featherweight belt on the line with a chance to become the first female UFC fighter — and second in history — to defend belts in two weight classes.

The main event of the pay-per-view card begins at 7 p.m. The preliminary card will air on ESPN at 5 p.m., with the early prelims streaming on ESPN-Plus at 3:30.

Spencer will enter the cage at the UFC Apex facility as more than a 4-1 choice to pull the upset but believes she has the formula.

“I love underdog status,” she said. “I hope I’m always the underdog. It’s nice to be able to know what you’re capable of and, hopefully, on that night bring it out and execute what you know you can do. And in this case, because I’m such a big underdog, shock the world.”

The 29-year-old former Invicta FC champion certainly has the credentials. She picked up tae kwon do at 4 years old and added jiujitsu and kickboxing to her repertoire as a teenager in Canada, transitioning to mixed martial arts training when she moved to Orlando, Florida, to attend Central Florida.

She has won eight of her nine pro fights, but it may have been the one lost that taught her the most about her potential.

Spencer went three full rounds with Cris “Cyborg” Justino in July 2019 and never felt outclassed.

“In that fight, I truly wasn’t fazed by a legend standing in front of me,” Spencer said. “I had that drive to win at every moment. … I’m honored by these opportunities. I’m not fazed by them. It’s my skills against another person’s skills, and we’re going to fight.”

Spencer knows not everyone believes in her as much as she believes in herself.

Nunes has been on an absolute tear, winning 10 straight with only three going the distance.

Her first-round knockout of Justino in December 2018, which came almost exactly two years after a first-round knockout of Ronda Rousey, was the moment most MMA observers acknowledged her as the best female fighters in history.

She can take another step toward solidifying that by defending the featherweight title she holds while still possessing the bantamweight belt.

Spencer doesn’t plan on being just another footnote.

“I think it would be in the top five upsets of all-time in the UFC for a lot of people,” she said. “But for the people around me and the people who know me, it wouldn’t really be much of a surprise.

“I’m me. I’m just different. … I just have a different background, a different skill set, a different grind and I’m just super motivated to take this belt off her. … I’m confident in a finish, but if I just have to go win every round, I’ll do that. This one’s mine. I’m taking it.”

As to whether Nunes is more difficult to solve than an algebra equation, Spencer flashed a smile.

“Depends on the question, I guess,” she said.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.