5 biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann
UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann was not the most star-studded UFC show of 2021. But there was still plenty on offer to interest the fans. With several impressive performances and finishes, UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann should offer a few talking points for the next few days.
Various fighters picked up key wins – either climbing into title contention or saving their UFC roster spot. So the ramifications from last night could be felt for a while.
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On that note, here are the five biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann.
#5. Ion Cutelaba – defeated Devin Clark in UFC Fight Night co-main event
Coming into last night’s UFC Fight Night, if Ion Cutelaba didn’t have his back to the wall, it was probably very close. ‘The Hulk’ had not won a fight since his 2019 win over Khalil Rountree, and his violent style appeared to have been found out.
Essentially, it looked like if an opponent could weather the early storm, Cutelaba would inevitably fade and become an easy picking in the later rounds. Last night, it looked like Devin Clark had somehow been able to weather the storm.
‘The Brown Bear’ took a horrendous beating in the first round. He suffered a bad knockdown and ate up a ridiculous amount of strikes both standing and on the ground. However, Cutelaba simply couldn’t finish his opponent. Usually, that would’ve been the cue for the Moldovan to gas out and allow Clark to take the final two rounds, probably leaving the result of the fight in doubt.
However, Cutelaba looked much improved in terms of his cardio and self-control. He continued to take the fight to Clark in a more workmanlike manner. Not only did he hammer ‘The Brown Bear’ on the feet, but he also controlled the grappling parts of the fight, besting Clark there too.
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Whether this new, improved ‘Hulk’ can become a genuine contender in the UFC’s now-packed 205 lbs division is another thing entirely. That's because trickier opponents than Clark lie in wait for him. For now, though, his UFC career rolls on, which makes him one of the night’s big winners.