Tag: Ryan Spann

Ryan Spann moves to heavyweight for UFC showdown with Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Ryan Spann follows teammate Kennedy Nzechukwu into the UFC heavyweight division.

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] is changing things up.

At UFC Fight Night 254, Spann (22-10 MMA, 8-5 UFC) will make his promotional heavyweight debut against “Salsa Boy” [autotag]Waldo Cortes-Acosta[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC). The bout takes place March 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Twitter user @realkevin first reported the bout.

Spann, 33, snapped a three-fight skid at light heavyweight in October when he made quick work of veteran Ovince Saint Preux with a first-round submission victory. Spann is the second Fortis MMA product to move from light heavyweight to heavyweight in recent months. His teammate Kennedy Nzechukwu went 2-0 in 2024 at the new weight class.

Cortes-Acosta, 33, aims to extend a three-fight winning streak to four. That stretch includes victories over Lukasz Brzeski, Andrei Arlovski, and Robelis Despaigne.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 254 lineup includes:

  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Ryan Spann
  • Daniel Barez vs. Andre Lima

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.

Ryan Spann couldn’t help but guillotine at UFC 307: ‘We ended up seeing who had the better move’

Ryan Spann explains why he entered UFC 307 with plans of avoiding trying to exact maneuver he ended up winning by.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] said he intended to stay away from the guillotine choke at UFC 307. But when the opportunity presented itself, he couldn’t help but indulge.

“I was trying to stay away from it because we both have a move that we’re good at,” Spann told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “His move is supposed to be the counter to my move. So we ended up seeing who had the better move, I suppose.”

Spann (22-10 MMA, 8-5 UFC) submitted longtime UFC veteran Ovince Saint Preux (27-18 MMA, 15-13 UFC) with his signature high-elbow guillotine choke at 1:35 of Round 1 at Delta Center.

Despite the fight’s brevity, Spann said he felt there were some obvious mistakes he made.

“I felt, at times, in there, while moving, that I was a little sloppy. I didn’t do things conducive to what we’ve been working on every day at Fortis. I want to fix that and clean that up. … I felt it when I did it. There were a couple times I looked over like, ‘Hey, I know. My bad.'”

Now that a three-fight skid is snapped and he’s back in the win column, Spann is excited to try to build off that momentum in his return. But until his manager and coach Sayif Saud gets the offer from UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, Spann will be enjoying life as a dad.

“I just want to get back to work,” Spann said. “I’m blessed with the opportunity to be able to do this and provide for my family. So we’re just going to get back to work. My son is starting and has always started football. Because I’ve been so busy with this, I’ve had to miss out on some things. Now, I can focus on him while doing my work at the same time.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program cracks $29 million total paid since Venum deal

The UFC has now paid more than $29 million to its athletes under the Promotional Guidelines Compliance program following UFC 307.

SALT LAKE CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 307 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $407,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 307 took place at Delta Center in Utah. The main card aired on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 307 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Iasmin Lucindo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Tecia Pennington[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Court McGee[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,302,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,039,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Ryan Spann def. Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Ryan Spann’s first-round submission win over Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]’s first-round submission win over [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Fight and venue photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA Today Sports)

UFC 307 video: Ryan Spann rocks, taps Ovince Saint Preux to snap three-fight skid

Ryan Spann once again showed what he’s capable of when he’s on top of his game with a vicious finish of Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 307.

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] once again showed what he’s capable of when he’s on top of his game with a vicious finish of [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] at UFC 307.

With his back against the wall on a three-fight losing skid, Spann (22-10 MMA, 8-5 UFC) came out of the gate and hurt Saint Preux (27-18 MMA, 15-13 UFC) early in the opening round of their light heavyweight bout at Delta Center.

As his opponent tried to recover, Spann snatched the neck and forced his way on top with a guillotine choke that forced Saint Preux to frantically tap out just 95 seconds after the fight began.

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Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):

After the fight, Spann was thrilled in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and said this is where his run at 205 pounds truly begins.

Meanwhile, Jon Anik noted on the broadcast that Saint Preux fought out of the final bout on his UFC contract, and it could possibly be it in the octagon for the man with the most wins in divisional history.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 307 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC books vets Ovince Saint Preux, Ryan Spann for September showdown

Two UFC light heavyweight division staples will collide in September.

Two experienced light heavyweights will collide in September at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] will battle [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] in a three-round bout at the UFC Fight Night event Sept. 7.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to remain anonymous.

Saint Preux (27-17 MMA, 15-12 UFC) is one of the longest tenured fighters on the promotion’s roster. He was imported onto the UFC roster as part of the Strikeforce merger in 2012. Since then, Saint Preux has competed against some of the division’s biggest names, including Jon Jones in an interim title fight in 2016. Saint Preux has won two of his most recent three matchups including an exciting brawl vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu in March.

Fortis MMA’s Spann (21-10 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is a former LFA light heavyweight champion who has established himself as a knockout artist in the UFC. He aims to snap a three-fight skid against Saint Preux.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Sept. 7 includes:

  • Gilbert Burns vs. Sean Brady
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Kyle Nelson
  • Alessandro Costa vs. Matt Schnell
  • Felipe dos Santos vs. Andre Lima
  • Jaqueline Amorim vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
  • Isaac Dulgarian vs. Brendon Marotte
  • Dylan Budka vs. Andre Petroski
  • Gabriel Santos vs. Yi Zha
  • Yanal Ashmouz vs. Trevor Peek
  • Marcus McGhee vs. Aiemann Zahabi
  • Ovince Saint Preux vs. Ryan Spann
  • Chris Padilla vs. Rong Zhu

Video: Reaction to Alex Perez’s KO win over Matheus Nicolau at UFC on ESPN 55

What does Alex Perez’s first win since 2020 mean for his immediate future? Our “Spinning Back Clique” weighs in.

On this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel reacted to the results of UFC on ESPN 55 this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

In the main event, [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] picked up his first win since 2020, putting away [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] with a brutal second-round knockout. [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag] also made a big statement in the second round of his co-main event bout as he put away veteran [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] with a TKO.

So what do these results mean? What should be next for Perez?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Farah Hannoun, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia weigh in on the results from UFC on ESPN 55.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or podcast form.

https://youtube.com/live/1W_eLDUuvQE

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Conor McGregor buys BKFC, UFC 301 preview, Alex Perez’s KO, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Conor McGregor becoming part owner of BKFC, Alex Perez’s KO win, the upcoming UFC 301, more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Farah Hannoun and Nolan King will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC on ESPN 55 is in the books. The UFC Apex event saw [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] make a huge statement at 125 pounds, knocking out [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] in the main event. This card also saw [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag] pick up a big TKO win over veteran [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag], among many other results. We discuss the headliner bout, as well as other standout performances from the card.
  • UFC wasn’t the only show around this past Saturday. BKFC hosted the fourth edition of its tent pole KnuckleMania events. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], arguably the face of the promotion and the “King of Violence,” defeated former BKFC champ and former UFC title challenger [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] in the main event of the card. It was also announced that [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is now part-owner of BKFC.
  • This past week was busy in terms of callouts (and requests): [autotag]Chris Weiman[/autotag] interested in taking a step up against [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]; [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] doubled down on his plan to box [autotag]Ryan Garcia[/autotag]; [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] interested in an interim title fight against [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]; [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] teased a move down to 185 pounds; [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] says he’s all in to run a trilogy bout against [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] in Karate Combat.
  • Looking ahead, the UFC 301 goes down this Saturday in Brazil. Although not the most stacked pay-per-view, at least on paper, this card features a UFC flyweight title fight between [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] and [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag], and the return of former UFC and WEC champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag], who fights [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag].

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UFC on ESPN 55 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $25 million

UFC on ESPN 55 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $175,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 55 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 55 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Karine Silva[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ariane Da Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Austen Lane[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]David Onama[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jonathan Pearce[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Rani Yahya[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michal Figlak[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Marnic Mann[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Na Liang[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Hayisaer Maheshate[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Gabriel Benitez[/autotag]: $11,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,550; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $55,000 while title challengers get $55,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-55 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $2,640,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $25,377,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 55

Ryan Spann will look to avoid a three-fight losing skid against the dangerous Bogdan Guskov in tonight’s UFC on ESPN 55 co-main event.

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] and [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC on ESPN 55 main card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov UFC on ESPN 55 preview

Spann (21-9 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will enter UFC on ESPN 55 needing a victory to avoid the first three-fight losing streak of his career. Spann, 32, is coming off back-to-back losses to Nikita Krylov bu first-round submission and most recently Anthony Smith by split decision last August. … Guskov (15-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has been victorious in five of his past six bouts after returning to the win column with a first-round TKO of Zac Pauga in February. Before that, Guskov lost his UFC debut against former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir.

Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov expert pick, prediction

Last event’s results: 4-1

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2024: 28-29-2

When it comes to co-main event bookings in the Apex era, there’s only one weight class that the current UFC matchmakers love featuring more than heavyweight – and that’s light heavyweight.

Spann, akin to arch-nemesis Anthony Smith, understands this role more than most and is seldom shy when it comes to throwing down in the octagon. Although Spann will thankfully be getting a break from “Lionheart,” Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard had the sick sense of humor to book him against Smith’s doppelganger, Guskov.

An Uzbek action fighter, Guskov appears to have a lot of the same right-handed sensibilities and finishing instincts that Spann possesses.

Between both fighters’ propensity to get wild and make risky decisions, I expect this battle to be one of the more volatile offerings on the card (which says something).

Guskov is a dangerous fighter who is live as an underdog, but I believe that his sometimes-lackadaisical defense could cost him against a long and accurate opportunist like Spann. Couple that with the kind of chaos that the smaller octagon of the Apex encourages, and I suspect that we’ll see grappling entanglements early and often.

The pick is Spann by first-round submission.

Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the American, listing Spann as a -205 favorite and Guskov a +158 underdog, according to FanDuel.

Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov start time, how to watch

As the co-main event, Spann and Guskov are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.

For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”