50 combined wins, 45 combined finishes: Nikita Krylov vs Ryan Spann to headline UFC FN 220
‘Superman’ Ryan Spann (21-7) will get a quick turnaround, as just two weeks following his 80-second KO victory over former title challenger Dominick Reyes, he already has his next match up booked.
The no. 10 ranked light-heavyweight contender will next step into the cage opposing no. 7 ranked Nikita Krylov (29-9), who’s coming off a pair of back-to-back victories over former title challengers himself in Alexander Gustafsson (KO) and Volkan Oezdemir (UD).
This bout is to headline UFC Fight Night 220 on February 25, 2023, live from a to-be-determined venue.
Nikita Krylov came over to the UFC in August of 2013 with a record of 15-2, losing to the same individual in those two defeats, all 17 fights ending in round one.
Hell, the only fight that made it past 2:47 of the first round was his bout just prior to coming over, where he TKO’d his opponent at 4:27 of the opening round.
Following a promotional debut that saw him gas out and get finished via TKO in round three, Krylov would then TKO Walt Harris in a mere 25 seconds before dropping down to 205 lbs.
While an initial defeat would come to Ovince Saint Preux (Von Flue choke), he’d then rattle off five-straight finishes (two knockout, three submission). Krylov was then submitted (guillotine choke) by Misha Cirkunov and released by the UFC, where he’d go 4-0 with four finishes en route to claiming the FNG light-heavyweight championship.
This showed him finish that streak out with back-to-back KO victories over former Bellator light-heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton and UFC veteran Fabio Maldonado.
Krylov would be submitted by future champion Jan Blachowicz (arm-triangle choke) in his return, before avenging his defeat to Ovince Saint Preux (rear naked choke). Then, something out of the ordinary happened, his next three contests would all go the distance, his first, second, and third times doing so.
Krylov would lose a very close split decision to future, now former champion Glover Teixeira in that time.
Nonetheless, he’d be submitted by Paul Craig (triangle choke) in a fight he nearly won via KO on a number of occasions but would defeat Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir in his next two outings.
Ryan Spann on the other hand came to the UFC in September of 2018 with a record of 14-5, and he’d go 4-0 within the promotion before losing for the first time. That first defeat came to Johnny Walker, someone he nearly stopped with strikes before being knocked out himself.
Spann would then TKO Misha Cirkunov, before being submitted by former title challenger Anthony Smith (rear naked choke).
Since then, however, Spann, like Krylov, has won his last two-straight, himself defeating the likes of Ion Cutelaba (guillotine choke) and Dominick Reyes (KO).
Krylov has won just two decisions throughout his 29-win career, while Spann has won just three throughout his 21-win career. All in all, these two bring 45 finishes into this main event out of 50 total wins, 38 of which came in the first round; these are two seriously dangerous men.
And, of their 66 total fights, 57 have ended via finish.
You do not want to miss this one!
Who walks away from UFC Fight Night 220’s main event boasting a three-fight win streak?
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