Anthony Smith
When you look at the overall body of work of both combatants, it is hard to ignore the long laundry list of Anthony Smith’s. Living up to his name “The Lion Heart,” this is a guy that really has fought his way tooth and nail for everything that he has become.
At only 33 years of age, Smith has a record of 35-16 with 19 by way of knockout and 13 by way of decision. In his 16 losses, Smith has been KO’d nine times and submitted four times. I dare to say that Smith’s record is not really indicative of how good he actually is. Even though his record is not bad, when you look at those 16 losses, the normal outsider will see him as a 50/50 fighter. He is so much more than that, and even though Smith has had his fair share of brutal wars, the guy is still a force to be reckoned with.
Smith has very good striking, gashing elbows, good knees in the clinch and a firm understanding of when the blood settles in the water to go drink it. He also has a very sneaky grappling game. With a black belt in BJJ, Smith tends to back off of that unless he really feels it’s needed, or he just sees a clear opportunity to do so. The former CFFC middleweight champion, UFC Fight of the Night and five-time UFC Performance of the Night winner, Smith finally got his well deserved chance for UFC gold against Jon Jones.
Smith lost a lopsided decision and needed to take a back seat yet again. On his return, he submitted Alexander Gustafsson and seemed to really not skip a beat. However, after that it became a rough sled where he lost two straight and was brutalized by Glover and lost a decision to Rakic. It seemed the wars were catching up with him and the level of competition needed to be backed up a bit just to see where exactly he stood after fighting a murderers row for so long. His fight against a very tough Devin Clark was a win, and then a fight in which he was slated to hand over the baton to Jimmy Crute, Smith proved that he was not ready to hang it up just yet. Now on a two-fight win streak, the UFC hands him another tough ask in a slick and powerful Ryan “Super Man” Spann.
Ryan Spann
Spann is three years younger than Smith and has about one third of the fights of him as well. The much fresher fighter coming from Fortis MMA carries a record of 19-6, with 11 submissions and five KOs. In his six losses, he has been KO’d three times and only submitted once. Spann is a very tricky person to nail down when it comes to his game plan from fight to fight. There are some situations where he will implore his wrestling, other situations where he is really looking to snatch up a submission, and some situations where he feels as if he can take your chin off. His game plans really do tend to waiver, and you need to wonder where will he feel he has the advantage in this matchup?
The answer to that question is actually kind of loaded, because to me, there aren’t many. I think he has more power in his hands, and I think he is probably the better wrestler, but in the grand scheme of it, Anthony Smith is the better all-around fighter more experience and disciplined grappling. Spann has one five-round fight which took place back in 2015 on the regional scene, and he lost that fight.
How I See This Fight Shaking Out
I just think people are counting Smith’s career out a bit. I really don’t think this kid is done yet. A big thing I look at when a fighter has been in several wars is their ability to speak sharply and crisply in interviews or responses after the fight. Your brain is the main catalyst in everything you do, and if your brain is not signaling correctly, then you are going to have much slower reaction times which will hinder major things in the cage.
A perfect example is Evander Holyfield. I understand that he is in his late 50’s and he shouldn’t have been in there. But just the way he talks now in the buildup to that fight, you can see a clear, sluggish reaction time. This is something that Anthony Smith just does not have in the slightest and here is why: He is an analyst and a very good one at that. He thinks quick in his responses, and he is actually one of the more well-spoken fighters in the game. There are no delayed reactions, no slurs oor studders. He has a solid foundation and grasp on all of his reactions, and that shows his brain is fine. So when you talk about having wars and such, with someone like Smith, it is much more about the wear and tear on his body and not the skillset.
This is something that I still don’t see affecting him just yet. He is the better and more well-rounded fighter here, and although Ryan Spann is very dangerous in his own right, I think the deeper this goes, the more Smith starts to become the grim reaper of Spann’s demise.
The Pick: Anthony Smith
DFS Breakdown
- Anthony Smith: $9,100
- 100+ Points: 3 of 10
- Current Market Value: 4 of 10
People will still lean on that he has damage from previous wars. There is no doubt that Anthony Smith is taking a step down here, and if he shows up on fight night, you will see the difference in skillsets as the fight grows older. The submission is a reality for him in this spot.
- Ryan Spann: $7,100
- 100+ Points: 2 of 6
- Current Market Value 3 of 6
His paths are not as plentiful. He has the size and the length, but most of all, he has the kill shot that Smith will need to be aware of. I just don’t see that being enough here, but the KO upside makes his pricetag a little more intriguing.
Vegas: Anthony Smith -165
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