No. 7-ranked light heavyweight contender Nikita Krylov will risk his spot in the division Top 10 when he collides with No. 10-ranked Ryan Spann in the upcoming UFC Vegas 70 main event, recently made official for Sat., Feb. 25, 2023, at APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 30 year-old Krylov opened as the -175 (4/7) favorite against +135 (27/20) for the 31 year-old Spann, according to the bookies over at BetOnline.ag, though it’s safe to say that betting line will shift — likely in both directions — as we inch closer to fight night.
Krylov (29-9) is coming off back-to-back wins over former light heavyweight title challengers Volkan Oezdemir and Alexander Gustafsson. “The Miner,” who returned to UFC after a two-year stint on the international circuit, is just 4-4 dating back to late 2018.
As for Spann (21-7), he’s also riding a two-fight winning streak. After submitting Ion Cutelaba with a guillotine choke back in May, “Superman” returned later in the year to obliterate Dominick Reyes at UFC 281 with a thunderous first-round knockout.
Don’t be surprised if Krylov vs. Spann ends before the fifth and final round.
The UFC Vegas 70 fight card on ESPN+ will also feature the lightweight collision between Jordan Leavitt and Victor Martinez. Elsewhere on the card, Hailey Cowan and Ailin Perez hook ‘em up at 135 pounds while Denys Bondar and Ode Osbourne go to war at flyweight.
Expect more fight card announcements in the coming weeks.
