UFC Vegas 70: Krylov and Spann Take Main Event Spotlight Amid 205lb Turnover

By
Gabriel Gonzalez
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Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann, UFC Vegas 70
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Opponents Nikita Krylov of Ukraine and Ryan Spann face off during the UFC weigh-in at UFC APEX on February 24, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Light heavyweight finishes Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann will be looking to announce themselves to the title hunt when they clash in the main event of UFC Vegas 70.

Few could have predicted the UFC journey of Ukraine’s Nikita Krylov ahead of his first UFC main event.  Several months shy of the tenth anniversary of his promotional debut, “The Miner” has shared the cage with some of the best light-heavyweights of the past decade in Jan Blachowicz, Alexander Gustafson, Glover Teixeira, and Magomed Ankalaev.  While his UFC run has seen its share of peaks and valleys, he now finds himself in his first UFC headliner at a time when he now has a vast amount of experience to match his physical gifts.

Krylov burst onto the scene in 2012 when he fought an astonishing 13 times in the calendar year.  He would go 15-2 overall (with all those victories coming by first round stoppage) before being signed to the UFC as a 21 year-old in 2013.  He posted an impressive 6-3 record before shockingly electing not to re-sign with the promotion despite being an established contender in order to improve his skills and fight closer to home.  He would return roughly two years later and has since re-established himself as a perennially ranked threat in the division who rides back-to-back victories over former title challengers going into Saturday.

Ryan Spann has demonstrated that persistence and perseverance can be as valuable to a career as any attribute one can carry into the cage.  A prospect in the higher weight-classes who built up experience in the LFA, Spann made his first appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series as a 25 year-old in 2017.  While he would come up short that night, he reeled off three consecutive first round finishes that included winning the LFA title before getting another shot at DWCS a year after his previous opportunity.  He would make the most of it, delivering a first round submission to get signed to the UFC.

Through his nine appearances inside the Octagon, Spann has developed from a powerful upstart to a bonafide top ten contender as he has posted a 7-2 record in the UFC.  While “Superman” went 2-2 between 2020 and 2021, he has seemingly turned the corner in his last two bouts with emphatic stoppages of Ion Cutelaba and former title challenger Dominick Reyes in the first round.  Like Krylov, Saturday is also his first main event and it comes at a time when he can make a leap into title contention in the latter half of the year should he look impressive in victory.

The winner of the bout is expected to leap into a potential top five bout with title implications in their next outing.  Krylov (should he be victorious) is likely to have his sights on former title challenger Anthony Smith should he win his upcoming bout against Johnny Walker.  Another option for either man with a victory could also be the returning Alekasandar Rakic who would make sense as the belt is held up between the trifecta of Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Magomed Ankalaev.

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