Ryan Spann, a challenger for the light heavyweight title at UFC Vegas 70, is entirely focused on himself and not Nikita Krylov.
At 205 pounds, everything seems up for grabs with a freshly crowned champion, a top contender whose health situation is still unknown, and a few recent title challengers who seem to be in hot water with the UFC. With the #6-ranked Krylov and the #9-ranked Spann sharing a cage inside the Apex this weekend’s main event, it may prove to be significant in terms of the title picture.
Krylov finds himself just outside the top five going into his 18th bout under the UFC brand and first main event. With two victories over Volkan Oezdemir and Alexander Gustafsson in the second half of 2022, “The Miner” has climbed the standings.
But despite being up against the stalwart European challenger in a critical light heavyweight matchup, Spann appears to know nothing about Krylov’s fighting strategy.
Spann Said, “I Don’t Care What He’s Gonna Do.”
Spann was questioned about his response when Krylov’s name was placed on his table during his presence at UFC Vegas 70 media day. The opponent in the Octagon across from “Superman” poses no threat to him.
When it comes to getting ready for a battle, he had a similar view, saying that he is unaware of and uninterested in Krylov’s fighting style.
“I had the same ideas I normally do (when given an opponent). I don’t mind, Spann declared. He is merely the name that was mentioned. The coach thought it went well. Really, it doesn’t matter… To be honest, I haven’t given it much thought as to what Krylov would bring to the table. I couldn’t give a damn. Many brand-new YouTube comments will remark, “Ryan “I don’t care” Spann.”
“His style is unknown to me. I have no idea what he’ll do. I don’t give a damn what he’s going to try to do,” Spann said. “I simply know that if I am relaxed and have fun, I will see everything.”
Come fight night, Spann will want to show that he can raise his hand without having a complete understanding of his opponent’s arsenal. And when he’s in the cage, he has a wide range of finishing moves at his disposal, as the shot he used to knock out Dominick Reyes the last time they faced off or the submission maneuver that had Ion Cuțelaba defeated six months earlier.
Krylov, on the other hand, will be looking to prove that he is not a man to be taken lightly, as he said in his own pre-fight media appearance.
“For me, it’s better. I’m better off if he thinks I’m bad. We’ll see after the battle, said Krylov.
Prediction
How much faith you have in Spann’s ability to land on his opponent determines which way you lean nearly entirely.
Krylov has 29 professional fights under his belt and has 12 knockouts and 15 submits, making him a formidable opponent. With 12 career submissions and six knockouts, Spann is a formidable finisher himself, although he relies more on raw athleticism than impenetrable technique.
If Krylov is forced into submission by Spann, it’s likely because the punch that came before it didn’t completely knock him out. Spann has a nasty propensity to losing his balance, and Krylov, the more skilled and resilient fighter, will take advantage of those slip-ups.
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