Anthony Smith defeated Ryan Spann by submission in the first round of their light heavyweight main event bout Saturday night at UFC Vegas 37 in Las Vegas.
UFC Vegas 37 rapid recap
Smith used a rear-naked choke to end the fight at 3:47. It was Smith’s fifth first-round finish since 2018, according to ESPN.
Smith now turns his attention to third-ranked Aleksandar Rakic, who defeated Smith by unanimous decision in August 2020.
“He’s just sitting around,” Smith said. “He’s not next in line for the title. Either I want that fight or I skip it,” Smith said immediately following the bout.
Smith improves to 36-16 while Spann falls to 19-7.
Earlier, Ion Cutelaba defeated Devin Clark by unanimous decision in their light heavyweight co-main event fight. Cutelaba took the cards 30-26, 29-26, 29-27. The Moldovan finished with nearly nine minutes in control.
Other winners on the main card included Ariane Lipski, Arman Tsarukyan, Nate Maness, and Joaquin Buckley.
UFC Vegas 37 Performance bonus winners
Four fighters were awarded US $50,000 bonuses for their outstanding winning performances Saturday night. Including one half of the night’s main event in Smith.
- Performance of the Night: Anthony Smith
- Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan
- Performance of the Night: Nate Maness
- Performance of the Night: Joaquin Buckley
–Field Level Media