UFC Vegas 70 is set to go down at UFC’s Apex facility. The card is going to have Nikita Krylov taking on Ryan Spann in the main event. Brendan Allen will fight Andre Muniz in the co-main event of the card. UFC prospect Tatiana Suarez will also fight on the card, making her return after almost 4 years. So all in all, it looks like an amazing night of fighting for the fans.
Nikita Krylov last fought at UFC 280 in October 2022. He took on Volkan Oezdemir and successfully won the fight via unanimous decision. Although Oezdemir is not the same fighter he was previously, beating him still holds a lot of stock. Hence, he will headline the first UFC Fight Night card of his career. Prior to beating Volkan Oezdemir, Nikita also knocked out former UFC light heavyweight title contender, Alexander Gustafsson.
Krylov vs. Spann pic.twitter.com/mDgoF7gMcc
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Ryan Spann, on the other hand, went up against Dominick Reyes in his last bout at UFC 281. He knocked out Reyes in the first round itself. It was a violent knockout, which made fans compare him with Deontay Wilder. He has also beaten fighters like Ion Cuțelaba and Misha Cirkunov in his UFC career so far. So which striker is going to come out on top this Saturday? Let’s find out.
UFC Vegas 70: Nikita Krylov vs Ryan Spann, Stats
| Stats | Nikita Krylov | Ryan Spann |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 29 | 21 |
| Losses | 9 | 7 |
| Height | 1.91 m | 1.96 m |
| Division | Light Heavyweight | Light Heavyweight |
| Reach | 196.8 cm | 200.7 cm |
| Age | 30 | 31 |
Krylov vs Spann: Fight Breakdown
Nicknamed “Superman,” Ryan Spann is known for his knockout power and killer submissions. He has 6 KOs and 12 submissions in his career. Ryan’s power is perhaps his biggest asset, which helps him catch his opponents off-guard with surprisingly good wrestling skills. Following his submission win over Emiliano Sordi in Dana White’s Contender Series, Ryan submitted two of his opponents in the UFC and knocked out three.
But Nikita Krylov is no slouch either. Krylov is currently the 6th ranked fighter in the 205 lbs division. This is his second run in the UFC. However, in his latest run, Krylov has fought the best possible contenders out there. While he has wins over Oezdemir, Gustafsson, and Johnny Walker, he has also lost to Magomed Ankalaev, Glover Teixeira, and Jan Błachowicz. But it also gave him a lot of experience to improve his game much further.
In terms of career, Nikita Krylov has 15 submission wins and 12 KOs to his name. However, the Russian fighter averages 4.45 strikes per minute inside the Octagon, while absorbing 2.50. So his defense is quite good. Krylov also has a takedown average of 2.11 takedowns per fight. Although he only has a takedown defense of 53%, Nikita also averages 1.2 submission attempts per fight.
Ryan Spann’s stats are not quite as good as Krylov’s. The 31-year-old both lands and absorbs 3.42 strikes per minute. He averages 1.46 takedowns and 1.8 submission attempts per fight as well. While Krylov has 6 submission losses, he only has 1 KO loss. So Ryan will have to be more wrestling-heavy in this fight. He admitted previously that he does not train very well ahead of his fights.
However, the same approach will cost him dearly against Nikita Krylov. On top of 2 submission losses, Spann also has 3 KO defeats as well. So Nikita will definitely fancy his chances in the fight. Because of his grappling and striking pedigree, Krylov will be confident about matching Ryan Spann step by step. But Spann will have the size advantage. So it is going to be an incredible fight in the UFC Vegas 70 main event.
