It took him two weeks longer than originally planned, but Nikita Krylov got the job done Saturday vs. Ryan Spann.
On the UFC Fight Night 221 main card at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Krylov (30-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) submitted Spann (21-8 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a 215-pound bout. The tap came at the 3:38 mark of Round 1.
The bout originally was slated for Feb. 25 as the UFC Fight Night 220 main event, but Krylov fell ill mid-event and the bout was canceled. They were quickly rebooked for Saturday’s card.
For as long as the fight lasted, the fighters shifted momentum back-and-forth. The bout started with some wild exchanges as heavy strikes were traded. Moments later, the grappling attempts began. Eventually, Krylov worked to the back of Spann, but fell off. Spann dove in for a punch and drove himself directly into a triangle attempt by Krylov. It proved to be a vital mistake as the submission was locked and Spann tapped.
Nikita Krylov outgrapples Ryan Spann for the first round W 🪢 #UFCLasVegas pic.twitter.com/8D9vPepnuo
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 12, 2023
With the victory, Krylov continues to roll as he extends his winning streak to three. The stretch of success also includes victories over former UFC title challengers Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir.
Spann has his two-fight winning streak snapped with the loss. It was the third submission loss of his career.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 221 results include:
- Nikita Krylov def. Ryan Spann via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:38
- Jonathan Martinez def. Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mario Bautista def. Guido Cannetti via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:18
- Vitor Petrino def. Anton Turkalji via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
- Karl Williams def. Lukasz Brzeski via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
- Davey Grant def. Raphael Assuncao via technical submission (reverse triangle choke) – Round 3, 4:43
- Josh Fremd def. Sedriques Dumas via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:00
- Victor Henry def. Tony Gravely via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
- Ariane Lipski def. JJ Aldrich via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Bruno Silva def. Tyson Nam via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:23
- Carlston Harris def. Jared Gooden via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 221.
