Ryan Spann showed grace in defeat in the immediate aftermath of his UFC Fight Night 192 main event loss to Anthony Smith.
Spann (19-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) got his first opportunity to headline a card Saturday when he was paired up with fellow light heavyweight contender Smith (35-16 MMA, 11-6 UFC) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make a lot happen.
“Superman” spent the majority of the fight on the defensive or in survival mode. He was knocked down twice before getting tapped out with a rear-naked choke from Smith, all inside the first round.
For some fighters, a defeat of this manner on this platform would be crippling to the confidence. By all appearances, though, Spann is digesting the outcome well.
Spann took to social media not long after his fight was complete and offered a very short statement where he said he’s “still smiling” (via Instagram):
Still smiling… To be continued…
After opening his UFC tenure with four consecutive wins, Spann has now lost two of his past three bouts. There was some controversy around his September 2020 fight with Johnny Walker where he succumbed to a first-round knockout, but nothing can be said about the fight with Smith.
With a strong team around him at Fortis MMA, Spann seemingly has all the tools and supporting cast to rebound from his loss to Smith. It simply remains to be seen when – and against who – he returns to the octagon.