Ryan Spann is looking to ‘take over’ with a win at UFC Vegas 70 (Video)

Ryan Spann wants to avoid overdoing his stay in the fight game and a win at UFC Vegas 70 gets him one step closer to the goal. 

Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann are both walking into UFC Vegas 70 with the goal of moving up in the rankings. The light heavyweight division is wide open for a new contender to rise to the top, and this is an opportunity for Spann to build momentum in 2023 so that he could ride to a title shot sooner, rather than later.

“You do championship [expletive], you get championship results,” Spann said during the UFC Vegas 70 media day. “The next goal is simple. I want something and I’m coming for it.”

Fans got their last taste of Spann in November 2022 when he defeated Dominick Reyes via first-round knockout. That was a big victory for his resume that helped put him on the 205-pound radar. This also pushed his win streak to two straight victories and winning three of his last four.

“My plan is to get the belt, and I’ll leave it for Kennedy. Either I’ll leave or I’ll go up,” Spann said. “Coach has a vision and a path mapped out for us. We are going to take over.”

Spann debuted for the UFC back in 2018 and has since put together an 8-2 record in the Octagon. That run includes victories over the likes of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Sam Alvey, Misha Cirkunov, Ion Cutelaba, and the previously mentioned Reyes. Six of those eight wins came via some form of stoppage. Spann is 27-7 coming into this fight and tied for the eighth slot in the divisional rankings.

Nikita Krylov has tenure in the Octagon but that doesn’t shake Spann

“I don’t care,” Spann said when talking about Krylov. “It’s just the name that came up. This fight almost didn’t happen. We were on call for this situation with the belt, but that didn’t happen.”

Krylov is looking to extend his own win streak. His last two outings saw him defeat two former title challengers in Volkan Oezdemir and Alexander Gustafsson. As he nears a decade-long run with the promotion, Krylov’s resume includes individuals like Johnny Walker, Ovince Saint Preux, and Fabio Maldonado. Coming into this fight, Krylov has a 29-9 professional record and is sitting in the number six spot in the division.

“My keys to victory are to have fun,” Spann said during the interview session. “I don’t care what he’s going to try to do. I just know if I have fun and be calm, I’ll see everything.”

UFC Vegas 70: Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann takes place on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.