One up-and-comer climbed the UFC light heavyweight rankings in the latest update
Following his impressive win at UFC Vegas 21, Ryan Spann has made a huge jump in the UFC light heavyweight rankings. With a first-round knockout win over Misha Cirkunov in the co-main event, Spann has moved to the No. 11 position in his division.
Heading into the fight last weekend, Spann was on the back of his first UFC loss, having been knocked out by Johnny Walker. The rising prospect was determined to get back in the win column and did so with a first-round finish at the UFC Apex.
Having made his UFC debut in 2018, Ryan Spann started his UFC career with a win over Luis Henrique. Spann went on to beat Devin Clark and Sam Alvey and holds a big win over veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
His jump up to No. 11 at light heavyweight also saw his latest opponent Cirkunov drop down to the No. 12 position. Jim Crute has been pushed down to the No. 13 spot ahead of his fight against Anthony Smith at UFC 261.
Could Ryan Spann be a threat to Jan Blachowicz's UFC light heavyweight title?
Ryan Spann still has a long way to go in the stacked UFC light heavyweight division. Now that 'Superman' has moved up to the No. 11 spot, it would only make sense for the UFC to book him against a top 10 opponent for his next Octagon outing.
While Spann has already faced No. 10-ranked Johnny Walker, a fight against Nikita Krylov would make sense. Krylov is currently sitting at No. 9 and recently lost to Magomed Ankalaev in a co-main event fight.
The Brazilian will be aiming to get back in the win column. Hence, a fight against a fighter looking to break into the top 10 could be considered sensible matchmaking.
Given that Spann can pick up a few solid wins over the course of 2021, he could easily be in contention to challenge for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2022.