After a short break, UFC is back with some more action for the upcoming weekend. UFC Vegas 37 is scheduled for Saturday, September 18 at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card filled with exciting matchups is expected to begin at 7:00 p.m. EST. While there are some noteworthy bouts worth watching, none are bigger than the light heavyweight main event between Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann.
Smith enters the bout as the No. 6-ranked light heavyweight fighter and will try to use the victory to push himself towards a championship fight. Meanwhile, Spann is ranked No. 11 and is looking to use his performance to break into the Top 10.
Regardless of who wins, the fight should still be entertaining. Here’s a look at how both fighters are looking ahead of UFC Vegas 37, with odds courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 37 Odds: Anthony Smith vs Ryan Spann
Odds via BetOnline as of Monday, September 13
- Record: Anthony Smith (35-16-0) vs Ryan Spann (19-6-0)
- Moneyline: Smith (-159) vs Spann (+139)
- Total: 3.5 Rounds — Over (-115), Under (-115)
Complete odds list and prop bets available at BetOnline.ag.
Anthony Smith Enters as Favorite
At -159 odds, Smith is favored to win the main event of UFC Vegas 37. The 33-year-old Texan finds himself in the middle of a small winning streak after having won each of his past two fights. Both bouts ended in impressive fashion and Smith won each one within the first round of the fight. He defeated Devin Clark via submission at UFC Vegas 15 before scoring a devastating TKO win over Jimmy Crute at UFC 261 back in April.
The momentum is welcomed for Smith after he lost three of four fights ahead of his two-bout win streak. He’s already proven that he can fight with the best that the light heavyweight division has to offer. After all, he’s a former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger, having battle Jon Jones for the title at UFC 235 back in March 2019. The bout obviously didn’t go Smith’s way, but he still lasted all five rounds before losing via unanimous decision. Still, it’s that kind of experience that will come in handy at UFC Vegas 37.
Smith is decent in multiple scenarios, however, he’s won a majority of his fights by submission — proven by the fact that he’s won 19 bouts by KO/TKO and another 13 by submission. Considering how Spann’s most recent loss came via KO just under a year ago, that might be Smith’s best path to victory.
Ryan Spann UFC Vegas 37 Odds
On the other hand, Spann will be the +139 underdog at UFC Vegas 37 but that’s something that he can handle. After all, the Memphis, Tennessee native has won 10 of his last 11 professional MMA fights. He’s only been affiliated with the UFC for the last three or so years, but that’s all the time he’s needed to impress fans. Spann’s most recent victory came back in March at UFC Vegas 21 where he scored a first-round TKO victory over Misha Cirkunov. Now, he’s looking to build upon that momentum at UFC Vegas 37.
Spann certainly excels at the submissions aspects of the game. 11 of his 19 professional victories have come that way, although, he holds just two submission victories over the last three years. Unfortunately, Smith hasn’t been submitted in nearly eight years, so that strategy seems to be out the window.
Nevertheless, Smith is susceptible to being knocked out as more than half of his losses have come via KO/TKO. The 6-foot-5 Spann is a solid striker, averaging 3.55 significant strikes landed per minute on 45% accuracy. His 79-inch reach certainly helps in that regard and combining the two could leave a lot for Smith to handle come Saturday. Even though Spann is the betting underdog, he still has a decent shot at winning the UFC Vegas 37 main event.
