Veteran UFC light heavyweight and former title contender Anthony Smith on Sunday dominated fight on Ryan Spann, with a submission victory in the first round of UFC Night in Las Vegas.
Smith rattled Spann with a series of punches that caused damage from the first moments of the duel. He was eventually able to take the fight to the ground, and force his rival to give up at 3:47, on a rear choke.
“I found the right distance, I managed to counter him, then commented the hot fighter. He defended well but I was a step above. The strategy? We fight in all positions, he has technique but I’m better.” Smith said.
Smith insisted he wants to face against Alexasandar Rakic in the rematch, as he looks to avenge the last loss in his record after falling to Rakic back in August 2020.
“I want to be given Aleksandar Rakic as my next opponent. This guy doesn’t do anything with him. It’s over fighting against inferior opponents. I have proven that I deserve to fight someone higher up in the division than I am.” Smith said.
Smith has now recorded three straight wins after two straight losses, following those over Devin Clark and Jimmy Crute in the first round, which helped solidify his place in the division’s top-10.
Meanwhile, Ion Cutelaba outscored Devin Clark in another light heavyweight clash in the semifinals. The Moldovan fighter has opted for an aggressive strategy, and his rival has never found the answers to his numerous attacks.
Cutelaba finally awarded three unequivocal cards handed over by the judges; 30-26, 29-26 and 29-27, for a 12th victory in his last 18 outings, him with a career record of 16-6-1.
