In the co-main event of UFC Singapore, we saw a rematch in the light heavyweight division. Former title challenger Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (37-18) was trying to snap his recent losing streak and get a second win over “Superman” Ryan Spann (21-9).
When these two men first fought a couple of years ago, Smith dominated then talked a little trash after he submitted Spann. It was going to be a tough task to do better than he did the first time. That said, Smith did look great in the first round. Landing a big takedown and doing damage with leg kicks.
However, Spann really took things over in the second round. He bloodied up the face of Smith with sharp shots and really did the most damage of the fight in the second round. Heading into the third, I had it 1-1 on my scorecard. The third round was very competitive with both men landing good shots.
However, I thought Smith did a better job of landing more and cleaner throughout the round. Spann had his moments and his shots had more on them, but I thought Smith one the round overall. In the end, the judges were split but they gave the fight to Lionheart at UFC Singapore.
What’s next after UFC Singapore?
This was a huge win for Anthony Smith. After his loss to Johnny Walker, there was a lot of talk around retirement. However, Smith made it clear that he wasn’t retiring and his focus was on getting better and getting back in the win column. Well, he’s back in the win column with his second win over Spann.
So, who should the UFC pair him with next? Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing Smith and Nikita Krylov next. Krylov is also coming off a win over Spann which was his third win in a row. That’s a fight that also makes sense from a rankings perspective given where both of them are at.
Khalil Rountree could also be someone to watch. Rountree could enter the top ten this week or he’ll stay at 11. If the promotion wants to try and move him up the rankings, Lionheart could be an opponent for him.