UFC Fight Night 192: Smith vs. Spann | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 192: Smith vs. Spann took place on September 18, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 37. The light heavyweight main event brought back one of the UFC’s most compelling rivalries in the making: Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith, looking to continue his winning run, against Ryan ‘Superman’ Spann, who had previously beaten Smith in October 2020.
Smith won emphatically in round one, dropping Spann twice with left hooks before taking his back and submitting him with a rear-naked choke at 3:47. No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded — all four Performance of the Night bonuses went to individual performances: Smith, Arman Tsarukyan, Nate Maness, and Joaquin Buckley.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, September 18, 2021
📍 Venue: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada, USA (UFC Vegas 37)
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ (UFC on ESPN+ 50)
🏆 Main Event: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann — Light Heavyweight (5 rounds) | Rematch
✅ Result: Anthony Smith def. Ryan Spann via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) (Round 1, 3:47)
🥇 Champion: Title not on the line | Smith avenges October 2020 loss
The Build-Up
The rematch was set up by a significant prior loss: Ryan Spann had submitted Anthony Smith by rear-naked choke in round one at UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva in October 2020. Smith had been coming off a loss to Glover Teixeira at the time. For FN 192, Smith had four wins since and was building a legitimate title case. He was also, notably, becoming one of the most prolific finishers in UFC light heavyweight history.
Spann, meanwhile, had won his previous two fights, including a KO of Johnny Walker, and was being positioned as a legitimate 205-pound prospect. The rematch had obvious narrative weight: who had learned more in the year between their first meeting?
Main Event: Smith vs. Spann
Anthony Smith avenged his previous loss with authority. Spann took Smith’s back early against the fence, but Smith shrugged him off. What followed was a rapid-fire demonstration of Smith’s power and experience: he landed two lead left hooks that dropped Spann, forced the recovery, and exchanged right hands that stunned his opponent. Smith dropped Spann again with a one-two, and the moment Spann went to the canvas, Smith immediately took his back and locked in the rear-naked choke for the tap at 3:47 of round one.
The fighters had to be separated after the finish as emotions ran high, but tensions cooled and the pair shook hands. The win gave Smith a statement response to his previous loss and strengthened his case for a light heavyweight title shot.
Co-Main Event: Cutelaba vs. Clark
Ion Cutelaba defeated Devin Clark by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-26, 29-27) in a light heavyweight bout that was scored convincingly for Cutelaba on two of the three scorecards. Cutelaba’s striking and pace proved decisive over Clark’s grinding style.
Full Results
Main Card
Anthony Smith def. Ryan Spann — Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) (Round 1, 3:47) — Performance of the Night | Rematch win
Ion Cutelaba def. Devin Clark — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00) | 30-26, 29-26, 29-27
Ariane Lipski def. Mandy Böhm — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00) | 30-27 x3
Arman Tsarukyan def. Christos Giagos — TKO (Punches) (Round 1, 2:09) — Performance of the Night
Nate Maness def. Tony Gravely — TKO (Round 2, 2:10) — Performance of the Night
Preliminary Card
Joaquin Buckley def. Antonio Arroyo — Finish — Performance of the Night
Erin Blanchfield def. Sarah Alpar — Finish | Blanchfield’s UFC debut
Raquel Pennington def. Pannie Kianzad — Decision (Round 3)
Bonuses & Awards
No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded. Four Performance of the Night bonuses were distributed.
🏆 Performance of the Night: Anthony Smith ($50,000) — RNC of Ryan Spann, Round 1, 3:47
🏆 Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan ($50,000) — TKO of Christos Giagos, Round 1, 2:09
🏆 Performance of the Night: Nate Maness ($50,000) — TKO of Tony Gravely, Round 2, 2:10
🏆 Performance of the Night: Joaquin Buckley ($50,000)
Records & Milestones
🥊 Anthony Smith’s rematch win over Spann continued a run that made him one of the most prolific finishers in UFC light heavyweight history. Post-event facts noted he was becoming an all-time great finisher at 205 lbs, with a remarkably high finish percentage across his UFC tenure.
🥊 Arman Tsarukyan’s first-round TKO of Giagos was another statement performance in his gradual rise through the UFC lightweight rankings. He had been establishing himself as one of the division’s most dangerous young fighters.
🥊 Erin Blanchfield made her UFC debut at FN 192, winning against Sarah Alpar. She went on to become one of the most talked-about prospects in the women’s flyweight division, reaching title contention within two years.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 192 is a card defined by Anthony Smith’s comprehensive response to the most significant setback of his recent career. The rematch format gave it immediate narrative weight — and the result was decisive. Smith’s round-one submission of the man who had submitted him a year earlier was clean, authoritative, and technically astute: he controlled the stand-up, scored the knockdowns, and transitioned seamlessly to the finish.
The card also served as an early spotlight for Tsarukyan and Blanchfield, both of whom went on to become significant figures in their respective divisions. FN 192 was an event without a Fight of the Night — but not because the action was lacking. Four individual performances each earned $50,000, which is itself a sign of a finish-heavy card.
FAQ
Why was the Smith-Spann rematch booked?
Ryan Spann had submitted Anthony Smith via rear-naked choke in round one at UFC Fight Night 181 (October 2020). The loss ended Smith’s six-fight winning streak and was one of the most significant defeats of his UFC run. Smith went on to win his next several bouts and earned the rematch on the back of that run, which made the FN 192 booking one of the more personally motivated main events of the year.
Who is Arman Tsarukyan?
Arman Tsarukyan is an Armenian-Russian lightweight who made his UFC debut against Islam Makhachev in April 2019 and came within a whisker of winning that fight. Known for his aggressive style, wrestling credentials, and striking development, he became one of the most consistent and improving fighters at 155 lbs. His PoN finish at FN 192 was part of a string of performances that would eventually earn him a title shot.
What happened to Anthony Smith’s light heavyweight title aspirations after FN 192?
Smith’s win over Spann kept him firmly in the top 10 of the light heavyweight division, but a title shot proved elusive. He went on to defeat Magomed Ankalaev in a split decision (later overturned) and continued to be one of the most active and respected fighters at 205 lbs. His career arc at light heavyweight is one of the most resilient in the UFC.
Who is Erin Blanchfield and what made her UFC debut notable?
Erin Blanchfield is an American flyweight known for her elite grappling, specifically her submission ability and top control. Her UFC debut win at FN 192 was the beginning of an unbeaten run that eventually saw her ranked as the UFC’s number-one flyweight contender. She became the first flyweight to submit Taila Santos and later submitted Manon Fiorot, establishing herself as one of the most technically complete women’s fighters at 125 lbs.
Why was Joaquin Buckley notable at this stage of his career?
Joaquin Buckley had become one of the most exciting middleweights in the UFC after his spinning back kick KO of Impa Kasanganay in October 2020 — widely considered one of the greatest KOs in UFC history. His FN 192 Performance of the Night win continued his run as one of the division’s most dangerous finishers, a reputation that would grow substantially over the following years.
References
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