Anthony Smith vs Ryan Spann Prediction: Smith's Career is About to End

The UFC Singapore tournament will take place on August 26th. The co-main event will be a clash between top welterweights Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann. Anthony Smith is currently ranked eighth in the flyweight division and Ryan Spann is tenth.

Former title challenger Anthony Smith is having a tough time right now and his generally good career is obviously coming to an end. After choking out Spann at UFC Fight Night 192, Smith has now lost two fights, the most recent of which was a surprising loss to Johnnie Walker. In that fight, Anthony was usually defending himself, but this time it didn't work for him. His punches may have been heavier, but Anthony was clearly weaker.

The bout with Spann should be a defining moment in Smith's future career - we will see if he can return to his former level.

Ryan Spann has never been the sharpest knife in the drawer. Nevertheless, he is an interesting fighter and deserves to be in the top 15. He doesn't have polished technique, but he's bold in the cage and aggressive, which allowed him to rebound from his loss to Smith with two straight wins over Ion Kucelaba (via first-round submission) and Dominick Reyes (via first-round knockout). But his true level was shown in March by Nikita Krylov, who choked out Spann in the first round.

Ryan Spann's last six bouts have ended in the first round, so the probability of a similar outcome is quite high. But it's not absolute. Spann has to realize that Smith is a top counterpuncher who is just waiting for his opponent to pounce on him.

And if Spann is a little smarter than he has been in the past, a little more alert, he'll have a much better chance of winning. Ryan is physically stronger, able to finish anyone with one punch, and very good at wrestling. And the Smith of 2022-2023 is a far cry from the Smith who fought Jon Jones as an equal in 2019.