Tag: Ryan Spann

UFC on ESPN 36 video: Ryan Spann chokes out Ion Cutelaba, issues warning to 205-pounders

Ryan Spann reminded the world that he’s primarily a submission threat when he tapped out Ion Cutelaba in the first round at UFC on ESPN 36.

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] reminded the world that he’s primarily a submission threat when he tapped out [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] in the first round at UFC on ESPN 36.

After some intense early exchanges, Spann (20-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) latched a deep standing front choke on Cutelaba (16-7-1 MMA, 5-6-1 UFC) that he turned into a guillotine to finish the fight at the 2:22 mark of Round 1.

The was the UFC on ESPN 36 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Spann opened quickly with a jab, overhand right combination that got some respect. Cutelaba used a lot of movement, but showed some hesitance pulling the trigger. Spann landed a pair of hard punches and they collided near the fence, which led to them spilling to the canvas and Cutelaba getting mount. Spann stood back up, but Cutelaba secured another takedown.

Spann stood back up then locked in a front choke during a scramble on the feet. He pulled Cutelaba to the canvas and forced an urgent tap out for a beautiful stoppage win.

It was an important performance for Spann, who suffered a first-round submission loss to Anthony Smith in his first UFC headliner in September. He’s now alternated wins and losses over his past five fights, and hopes this showing was the beginning of his best form.

“I had to get out of my way to make sure I did what I had to do,” Spann said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I didn’t get out of my way last time. I made sure I did this time. I’m going to get my coach that belt. I’m telling you, I’m coming.”

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Photos: UFC on ESPN 36 weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos of the UFC on ESPN 36 official weigh-ins and faceoffs in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos of the UFC on ESPN 36 official weigh-ins and faceoffs at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos by Ken Hathaway, MMA Junkie)

UFC on ESPN 36 predictions: Can ex-champ Jan Blachowicz get back on track vs. Aleksandar Rakic?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN 36 main card in Las Vegas, featuring ex-champ Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic.

Blachowicz
vs.
Rakic		 Cutelaba
vs.
Spann		 Grant
vs.
Smolka		 Chookagian
vs.
Ribas		 Camacho
vs.
Torres		 Hadley
vs.
Nascimento
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
79-38		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz
(56%)		 spann2022
Spann
(53%)		 grant2022
Grant
(80%)		 ribas2022
Ribas
(52%)		 torres2022
Torres
(73%)		 hadley2022
Hadley
(81%)
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
78-40		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
77-41
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
76-42
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
76-42		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 camacho2022
Camacho		 hadley2022
Hadley
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
75-43		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 smolka2022
Smolka		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
74-44		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Nolan King
@mma_kings
74-44		 rakic2022
Rakic		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 smolka2022
Smolka		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
73-45
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
72-46		 rakic2022
Rakic		 cutelaba2022
Cutelaba		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
68-50		 rakic2022
Rakic		 spann2022
Spann		 grant2022
Grant		 chookagian2022
Chookagian		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
59-59		 blachowicz2022
Blachowicz		 spann2022
Spann		 smolka2022
Smolka		 ribas2022
Ribas		 torres2022
Torres		 hadley2022
Hadley

The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week with a former champion at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN 36 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former light heavyweight champ [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (28-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) takes on [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC). Rakic is a 2-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Blachowicz is +150. Our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Rakic at a pretty high 8-3 clip.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] (16-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in another light heavyweight bout. Cutelaba is a -240 favorite, but it’s underdog Spann with a big 9-2 picks lead.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag] (11-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC will go after his fifth straight post-fight bonus award when he takes on [autotag]Louis Smolka[/autotag] (17-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) at bantamweight. Grant is more than a 3-1 favorite and has a big 8-3 edge in the picks from our staff members.

Former women’s flyweight title challenger [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will go after her fourth straight win when she meets [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC). Chookagian nearly is a 2-1 favorite and only one of our pickers is taking Ribas in an upset.

[autotag]Frank Camacho[/autotag] (22-9 MMA, 2-5 UFC) returns after a hiatus of nearly two years to take on [autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at lightweight. Torres is a modest -130 favorite – the smallest favorite on the main card. But he’s a near-unanimous pick at 11-1.

And to open the main card, we have our only unanimous pick: -230 favorite [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is an 11-0 pick against [autotag]Allan Nascimento[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in their flyweight bout.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blachowicz (56 percent), Spann (53 percent), Grant (80 percent), Ribas (52 percent), Torres (73 percent) and Hadley (81 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Ion Cuțelaba vs. Ryan Spann off UFC Fight Night 202 on Feb. 26

A light heavyweight bout between Ion Cutelaba and Ryan Spann has been pulled from UFC Fight Night 202 on Feb. 26.

This month’s fight calendar has lost a much-anticipated light heavyweight bout.

A contest pitting [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] against [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] has been scratched off UFC Fight Night 202 on Feb. 26 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Cutelaba (16-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) announced the news of the cancellation on Thursday evening.

“Unfortunately the fight is postponed!,” Cutelaba wrote on Instagram. “The opponent was injured! Fast recovery Spann, see you soon. We will announce the new date of the fight soon.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZhh4qEoUgx/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=f3fbc9b6-eac8-4bbf-8da6-3003e7132c09

Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has yet to speak on the news or reveal the extent of his injury. But according to Cutelaba, the bout will be rescheduled for a different date.

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Kicking off his UFC tenure at 4-0, Fortis MMA’s Spann has lost two of his past three. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate scored a first-round “Performance of the Night” TKO of Misha Cirkunov in March, but was then submitted by former title challenger Anthony Smith in his first UFC headliner in September.

After getting stopped in back-to-back bouts against Magomed Ankalaev and battling Dustin Jacoby to a split draw, Cutelaba notched his first win since September 2019 when he defeated Devin Clark via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 192 in September.

Below is the updated card for UFC Fight Night 202.

  • Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Rong Zhu
  • Hannah Goldy vs. Jinh Yu Frey
  • Joel Alvarez vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Misha Cirkunov vs. Wellington Turman
  • Victor Altamirano vs. Carlos Hernandez
  • Terrance McKinney vs. Fares Ziam
  • Micheal Gillmore vs. Jonny Parsons
  • Priscila Cachoeira vs. Ji Yeon Kim
  • Josiane Nunes vs. Wu Yanan

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UFC adds Ryan Spann vs. Ion Cutelaba to Feb. 26 lineup

Heavy hitters Ryan Spann and Ion Cutelaba will throw down in February.

Heavy hitters [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] and [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag] will throw down in February.

Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Cutelaba (16-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 26, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A person with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Island first reported the news.

Kicking off his UFC tenure at 4-0, Fortis MMA’s Spann has lost two of his past three. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate scored a first-round “Performance of the Night” TKO of Misha Cirkunov in March, but was then submitted by former title challenger Anthony Smith in his first UFC headliner in September.

After getting stopped in back-to-back bouts against Magomed Ankalaev and battling Dustin Jacoby to a split draw, Cutelaba notched his first win since September 2019 when he defeated Devin Clark via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 192 in September.

With the addition, the UFC’s Feb. 26 lineup now includes:

  • Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Rong Zhu
  • Hannah Goldy vs. Jinh Yu Frey
  • Joel Alvarez vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Misha Cirkunov vs. Makhmud Muradov
  • Victor Altamirano vs. Carlos Hernandez
  • Terrance McKinney vs. Fares Ziam
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ryan Spann

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Anthony Smith explains post-win outburst at Ryan Spann: ‘Maybe I’m on some Michael Jordan sh*t’

Anthony Smith is glad cooler heads prevailed with Ryan Spann in the heated aftermath of the UFC Fight Night 192 main event.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] is glad cooler heads prevailed with [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] in the aftermath of the UFC Fight Night 192 main event.

Following Smith’s (35-16 MMA, 11-6 UFC) first-round submission win over Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, he got very heated and yelled at his downed opponent. Referee Herb Dean had to restrain Smith, and once Spann got back to his feet and started to walk toward him, security flooded the cage and made sure nothing escalated.

The incident ultimately boiled down to a lot of yelling, but Smith’s emotion stemmed from everything that led into the fight. He was bothered by how dismissive Spann was in regard to his skillset and past accomplishments, and “Lionheart” said he took it personally.

Although Smith didn’t vocalize the depth of feelings going into fight night, it all came out afterward.

“I was holding a lot of that sh*t back – it really pissed me off,” Smith told MMA Junkie and other media at the UFC Fight Night 192 post-event press conference. “(I had) a lot, a lot (of fire). Maybe this is going to sound arrogant or pretentious, but I have earned the respect from my peers. I put a lot of work into this game. I’ve sacrificed my entire adult life to be in this position I’m sitting in right now. That’s time with my kids, that’s friendships, that’s life opportunities. I could’ve been a goddamn surgeon by now. I put a lifetime of work into this. Most of my peers respect it. That’s all I ask.

“You don’t have to like me. We don’t have to get along. We don’t have to be friends. You can think you’re going to kick my ass, and sometimes you might. I just think respecting my journey is the only thing I expect from anybody. He didn’t. Saying he doesn’t care about what I’ve done, he doesn’t care about the main events, he doesn’t care who I’ve beaten, he doesn’t care about the bonuses – I bet he cares now.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CT_EQBYo01Y/

Although Smith has no regrets about his actions, he said he’s glad it didn’t linger beyond what happened in the octagon. He said he had a brief conversation with Spann and coach Sayif Saud from Fortis MMA, and though he didn’t share the contents of that conversation, he said everything is now in the past.

“It’s nothing personal at this point,” Smith said. “I feel like I squashed it. I did what I had to do and I think we dealt with it in the cage afterwards. Him and his coach came over and they said what they said and I said what I said and we move on. I don’t hold any ill will towards them. I’m moving on, and see you later.

“I’m glad we did it right away. I think I would’ve felt bad afterwards. A lot of that stuff – there’s adrenaline, there’s a lot of testosterone flowing in there, there’s a lot of emotions. It was a big fight for both of us. They were upset. Let’s not pretend Ryan Spann wasn’t going to rub that sh*t in my face if he beat me. I wasn’t even trying to throw it in his face. That was just my initial reaction. The second he tapped and the ref pulled me off, my initial reaction was, ‘Where was that ass-whooping you promised me?’ That was my initial thought that was running through my head since he said it.”

Smith thinks his reaction partially came from the shift in mindset he’s endured while he’s gone on what’s currently a three-fight winning streak consisting of all first-round finishes. He said he clings onto certain things as fuel and motivation for himself to perform at his best, and that may have partially been the deal here as he latched into Spann’s pre-fight comments.

“Maybe I’m on some Michael Jordan sh*t where I’m just making stuff up in my head and making a mountain out of a mole hill just because that’s what I need to do,” Smith said. “But the fact is it genuinely bothered me and that was my emotional reaction immediately. I’m glad we got it over with. … I think people are more surprised that it’s me. I typically don’t get crazy emotional like that. But maybe I’m just caring less.”

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Ryan Spann ‘still smiling’ despite submission loss to Anthony Smith at UFC Fight Night 192

Ryan Spann showed grace in defeat in the immediate aftermath of his UFC Fight Night 192 main event loss to Anthony Smith.

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] showed grace in defeat in the immediate aftermath of his UFC Fight Night 192 main event loss to Anthony Smith.

Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) got his first opportunity to headline a card Saturday when he was paired up with fellow light heavyweight contender Smith (35-16 MMA, 11-6 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make a lot happen.

“Superman” spent the majority of the fight on the defensive or in survival mode. He was knocked down twice before getting tapped out with a rear-naked choke from Smith, all inside the first round.

For some fighters, a defeat of this manner on this platform would be crippling to the confidence. By all appearances, though, Spann is digesting the outcome well.

Spann took to social media not long after his fight was complete and offered a very short statement where he said he’s “still smiling” (via Instagram):

Still smiling… To be continued…

After opening his UFC tenure with four consecutive wins, Spann has now lost two of his past three bouts. There was some controversy around his September 2020 fight with Johnny Walker where he succumbed to a first-round knockout, but nothing can be said about the fight with Smith.

With a strong team around him at Fortis MMA, Spann seemingly has all the tools and supporting cast to rebound from his loss to Smith. It simply remains to be seen when – and against who – he returns to the octagon.

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UFC Fight Night 192 post-event facts: Anthony Smith becoming an all-time great finisher

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 192, which saw Anthony Smith extend his winning streak with a main event finish.

UFC Fight Night 192 featured a rare first-round submission finish in the main event as [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] put away [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag].

Saturday’s event, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, featured a key light heavyweight matchup in the headliner. Smith (35-16 MMA, 11-6 UFC) shined once again to close a fight card, as he managed to hurt Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on the feet before closing the show with a rear-naked choke.

“Lionheart” almost never sees the judges, and that track record is starting to show itself on his overall UFC resume.

For more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC Fight Night 192.

UFC Fight Night 192 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Anthony Smith’s $16k tops card

UFC Fight Night 192 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 Fight Night 192 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $162,000.

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 Fight Night 192 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 192 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Mandy Bohm[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Christos Giagos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nate Maness[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tony Gravely[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tafon Nchukwi[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mike Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Rong Zhu[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Jenkins[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]JP Buys[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Sarah Alpar[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Gustavo Lopez[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Heili Alateng[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Emily Whitmire[/autotag]: $6,000

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 2021 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,592,500
Program-to-date total: $3,592,500

Twitter reacts to Anthony Smith’s thrilling finish of Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 192

See the top Twitter reactions to Anthony Smith’s win over Ryan Spann in the UFC Fight Night 192 main event.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] showed he’s still a viable light heavyweight contender on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] in the UFC Fight Night 192 main event.

Smith (35-16 MMA, 11-6 UFC), a former UFC title challenger, picked his third consecutive victory courtesy of a first-round submission win over Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the headlining contest, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Smith’s victory over Spann at UFC Fight Night 192.