Spann admits he hasn’t seen mixed martial arts as a “career” since before his Octagon debut in September 2018. That said, he’s had his fair share of success under the UFC banner, collecting a 7-4 record including five finishes and wins over Dominick Reyes, Ion Cutelaba and Antônio Rogério Nogueira. Last year wasn’t his best, however, and he knew it was time for something different.
Results aside, the main spark for Spann to get back to that passionate and positive outlook on the fight game is his three children. Waking up when people are depending on you is a whole different level of motivation, but it is one that kept Spann committed to the change.
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“A lot of what they’re learning is from me,” he said. “When I (would) look at them and I’d be disappointed or mad about something, I can’t be mad at nobody but myself. I figure that if I make the changes in myself, I show my sons— I have two, actually my older one’s birthday is in a few days— so he’s about to be 12. Really, that’s really what started it. He’s getting older and I was like, ‘Man, I got to be there to show him what it is I want him to be or what I want to see from him,’ and the best way I can do that is be the example. The same (thing) with my youngest son. And then my daughter, I want her to see me interact with her mom, my wife, and know this is the type of man I would want to have, you know? So that’s kind of what started it.”