Two fighters formerly on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight rankings will be looking to have numbers next to their names in September.
MMA Junkie first reported on Monday that the two biggest men in the 205-pound division will collide at UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on September 7. Ryan Spann (21-10) and Ovince Saint-Preux (27-17) are both 2-3 in their last five fights, but could still return to second-favourite status with an impressive performance. The matchup has since been confirmed by other media outlets.
The 32-year-old Span has lost three straight bouts, with a recent record tainted by a triangle choke loss to Nikita Krylov, a close decision loss to Anthony Smith and a stunning knockout win over Bogdan Guskov. Prior to those three setbacks, Span maintained his status as a top-15 light heavyweight in 2022 by scoring a quick guillotine choke over Ion Cutelava and dismantling Dominick Reyes in 80 seconds. As a pro, “Superman” has won 18 of his 21 wins by stoppage.
Saint Preux has also lost three of his last five appearances, but two of those wins came by split decision to Mauricio Rua and Kennedy Nzechukwu, while Jamahal Hill, Tanner Boser and Philip Lins all punched him out within two rounds. “OSP” holds the honor of having the most Von Flue Chokes (or Von Preux, as some have renamed them) in company history, having landed the unconventional shoulder choke four times.
UFC Fight Night 242 (also known as UFC Vegas 97) will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The show will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Gilbert Burns and Shawn Brady. Other bouts expected to make the main card include a flyweight bout between Jessica Andrade and Natalia Silva, a featherweight striker showdown between Calvin Kattar and Kyle Nelson, and a middleweight bout between Andre Petroski and Dylan Bucca.
