UFC 250 Results: Key Takeaways from Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer Card

UFC 250 came and went with some stellar performances, new questions to be asked and legacies altered. 

Starting with Amanda Nunes once again reminding everyone she's the best fighter in women's MMA history and has earned her place on the pound-for-pound list.

The Brazilian dominated Felicia Spencer in a one-sided five-round beatdown to retain the featherweight strap and make her the first fighter to simultaneous defend two different championships. 

She wasn't the only one who made a statement, though. Several fighters put in memorable performances including a banner night for a collection of bantamweight talents.

The 135ers took three of the four performance-of-the-night bonuses as Cody Garbrandt, Aljamain Sterling, Sean O'Malley and flyweight Alex Perez all claimed some extra cash. 

Here's a complete rundown of how the night transpired and some of the key lessons learned from an exciting night of fights on Saturday. 

Main Card

• Amanda Nunes def. Felicia Spencer via unanimous decision (50-44 x2, 50-45)
• Cody Garbrandt def. Raphael Assuncao via KO at 4:59 of Round 2
• Aljamain Sterling def. Cory Sandhagen via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:28 of Round 1
• Neil Magny def. Anthony Rocco Martin via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
• Sean O'Malley def. Eddie Wineland via KO at 1:54 of Round 1

Prelims

• Alex Caceres def. Chase Hooper via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Ian Heinisch def. Gerald Meerschaert via TKO at 1:14 of Round 1
• Cody Stamann def. Brian Kelleher via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Maki Pitolo def. Charles Byrd via TKO at 1:10 of Round 2
• Alex Perez def. Jussier Formiga via TKO at 4:06 of Round 1
• Devin Clark def. Alonzo Menifield via decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
• Herbert Burns def. Evan Dunham via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:20 of Round 1

Key Takeaways

Featherweight Not a Problem for Amanda Nunes

Before Saturday night, there was a case to be made that Nunes could struggle to find long-term success at featherweight. For most of her career she's been a bantamweight and only moved up to fight Cris Cyborg in a superfight. 

A 51-second dismantling of her opponent should have been enough proof, but it was fair to question how she would adapt against a bigger fighter if a bout made it past the initial stages. As it turns out, it doesn't really matter. 

Spencer had nothing for the champ. Even in areas that should have been an advantage, such as the clinch and grappling exchanges, the Lioness ragdolled the challenger. She was clearly the stronger and more explosive fighter no matter where it took place. 

This could be bad news for the future of the featherweight division in the UFC. There aren't even enough fighters in the weight class for the company to have rankings. The division seemed tailor-made for Cyborg and now that she is fighting for Bellator and Nunes has shown she can dominate either division, its presence as a weight class would appear to be trivial. 

Megan Anderson, Cat Zingano and Spencer are the biggest challenges Nunes could see in the current landscape of the division. Anderson was submitted by Spencer, Zingano is 1-3 in her last four fights, and we just saw what happened when Spencer got her shot. 

Nunes can dominate the featherweight division for as long as the UFC allows her to at this point; and if there are any legitimate challenges to be had, they are at bantamweight. 

Aljamain Sterling is the No. 1 Threat to Petr Yan

At this point, it just seems like a foregone conclusion that Petr Yan will be your next bantamweight champion. With Henry Cejudo retired, the division has a vacant championship belt and the Russian will fight Jose Aldo for the honor. 

Aldo, 33, has been on the losing end of decisions to Alexander Volkanovski and Marlon Moraes in his last two fights. At this point, he's a title challenger because he's a legend and one of the best lower-division fighters of all-time. 

Yan is the hottest thing going and has earned his chance at UFC gold with what he's doing to opponents right now. 

While Aldo will get the first crack at the uncrowned king of the division, it's more of a lifetime achievement award than the actual fight to make. That's a matchup between Yan and Aljamain Sterling. 

Sterling has always been a submission wiz, but the question has been his striking. Against a top striker in Cory Sandhagen, he proved he has the confidence on the feet to put the pressure on and get the fight where he wants it. It only took one faulty kick from Sandhagen to spell the beginning of the end. 

It wasn't just that Sterling beat Sandhagen, it was the ease with which he did it. Scoring quick submissions is hard enough in the UFC when there's a clear talent disparity. To do it the way he did against a top contender showcases a different level of skill. 

Yan is another explosive striker who seems to have his way with everyone he has fought in the UFC. Whether Funk Master can do the same thing to him is now the biggest question in the bantamweight division and one fans should be clamoring to have answered. 

Cody Garbrandt is Still Lurking

While Sterling's performance announced himself as not only the No. 1 contender but also a true threat, Cody Garbrandt's display served to not so gently remind people he's still a live wire. 

The 28-year-old rose to prominence because of his fight-changing power. He has one-punch power that can change the course of a fight or end it in an instant, and that's a rare thing to have in the bantamweight division. 

After three straight knockout losses, it was easy to count Garbrandt out. With that many knockout losses, it's naturally going to create questions about his chin and whether he can take shots to give them. 

Against Raphael Assuncao, he did just that. He didn't lose his cool and didn't engage in a brawl. Instead, he hung in the pocket when he had to and utilized his movement when he needed to. Adding Mark Henry as a coach and diversifying his training was likely a factor in his improvements. 

There's still work to do. Assuncao has never been known as a fearsome striker, and the bantamweight division is loaded with tough competition at the top. But when Garbrandt is at the top of his game and if he can continue to show control over the fight and improve defensively, he could be back in the thick of the title hunt sooner rather than later.