A light heavyweight showdown between former title contender Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann has been booked for the upcoming UFC event scheduled on Sept. 18.
Multiple sources confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting on Saturday after Smith first mentioned the fight during the UFC Vegas 28 pre-show on ESPN+.
Following a pair of tough losses in a row, Smith has bounced back in impressive fashion with wins in his past two fights including a submission victory over Devin Clark and a TKO against Jimmy Crute in his most recent appearance. Smith has gone 3-2 overall since competing for the UFC light heavyweight title in 2019 and he’ll look to take another step towards the top of the division when he returns in September.
Opposing him will be Spann, who comes into the fight with a 5-1 resume in the UFC with four of his five wins coming by way of knockout or submission. Back in March, Spann earned a Performance of the Night bonus after he dispatched Misha Circkunov with a brutal TKO at just over one minute into the opening round.
The UFC Fight Night event scheduled on Sept. 18 is expected to take place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas with more bouts expected to be announced in the coming weeks.