MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC Vegas 70, a five-round light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann. The event takes place on Saturday, February 25 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nikita Krylov (-165)
Krylov (29-9) is the No. 6 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The 31-year-old Krylov is 10-7 overall in the UFC, including two straight wins over Volkan Oezdemir and Alexander Gustafsson. When he first came to the UFC, Krylov was getting finished often. Then he went on a huge tear and became one of the best light heavyweights in the UFC. He has been competitive with Glover Teixeira and Magomed Ankalaev and has shown that he has what it takes to hang with the best. Most of his UFC wins have come by finish, but he has been showing off more of his wrestling skills as of late, displaying his Octagon experience. That being said, he still makes mistakes from time to time. He’s incredibly dangerous anywhere the fight goes and always puts on a fun fight for the fans.
Ryan Spann (+140)
Spann (21-7) is the No. 8 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The 31-year-old American is 7-2 overall in the UFC, with notable wins over Dominick Reyes, Ion Cutelaba, and Misha Cirkunov. He has looked great for the most part in the UFC, winning five fights by stoppage. However, he also has shown defensive flaws, getting finished twice inside the Octagon. Spann is incredibly dangerous early, but he tends to slow down a bit as the fight goes on, which could come into play in a five-round fight. That being said, Spann always has the chance to KO or submit his opponents.
Fight Breakdown: This should be an awesome fight for as long as it lasts as both fighters come to finish fights. Just four of Krylov’s 38 career MMA fights have gone the distance, and with this fight being scheduled for five rounds, it seems unlikely to get that far. Spann, too, has not seen the scorecards in 23 of his 28 fights. Both fighters have been on fire as of late, with both men coming off two straight wins. Both fighters certainly have the skills needed to finish the other. However, we have to pick the winner, and I lean toward Krylov. I do feel like he has better overall grappling skills and he can hang on his feet as well. I feel better about going with Krylov in a five-round fight as I trust his cardio to hold up better if this fight plays out in a prolonged grappling battle like I think it will. I know Spann has subs of his own, but I believe Krylov will be able to get takedowns and top control. Spann will be dangerous early, but if he can’t catch Krylov on the chin in the first couple rounds, I think Krylov will grind him out against the fence. He will eventually get the fight to the ground, winning by submission. That’s my prediction for the UFC Vegas 70 main event in what should be a fun fight.
Prediction: Nikita Krylov via submission
