Ryan Spann is all set for his next fight when he returns to action at UFC Vegas 91. Fighting for the first time in 2024, it is understandable that the fighter would like to begin on a good note. That said, he will find his opponent eerily familiar on Saturday night.
For those unaware, the UFC returns to the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada after the success of UFC 300 earlier this month. In what was certainly a memorable landmark event, the promotion is now looking to the future and already has an action-packed summer in store for the fans. However, in the meantime, there are a fair few Fight Night events to get through.
Top 10 flyweights looking to climb the ranks 📈@NicolauMatheus vs @AlexPerezMMA is happening this Saturday at #UFCVegas91
[ LIVE on @ESPNPlus | 7pmET/4pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/DngDx8HYfK
— UFC (@ufc) April 23, 2024
Notably, UFC Vegas 91 will see the return of Matheus Nicolau as he looks to stake his claim for a flyweight title shot. Originally intended to face Manel Kape, the Brazilian will now face Alex Perez instead. In the co-main event, Ryan Spann looks to bounce back after back-to-back losses on the trot. Facing him will be light heavyweight newcomer Bogdan Guskov who will be looking to break into the rankings.
Ryan Spann reacts to Bogdan Guskov’s resemblance to Anthony Smith
All things considered, it will be a sizeable layoff for Ryan Spann as he looks to return to the Octagon after 8 months. Having suffered a narrow split decision loss to Anthony Smith, Spann realized that there was a lot of work to be done. As such, it would not have been possible for him to do such things had he been preparing for another fight in camp.
Thus, having taken the time to work on himself a bit more, he will now be welcomed by a somewhat familiar face in Bogdan Guskov. Seeing that the Uzbekistani light heavyweight bears a striking resemblance to Anthony Smith, Ryan finds himself in a rather funny situation. When asked about it during media day, Ryan Spann couldn’t help but laugh on the matter.
“I don’t know what they (UFC) are trying to do here man. But it really don’t matter, I’m just grateful to be fighting somebody, and the way he looks, it won’t hurt (laughs).”
That said, Ryan Spann has lost to Anthony Smith on two occasions now. Thus, to see him for what will practically be for the third time now is not that big of an issue. Despite their similarities, Ryan feels that they are two entirely different opponents and fighters and that he doesn’t hold much space for getting revenge. As much, he is mostly focused on getting the win and moving on to the next guy.
How have the fans reacted to Bogdan Guskov’s resemblance to Anthony Smith?
For the most part, whilst Ryan Spann believes that it will not affect him too much on the night, he might be seriously reconsidering his statement come Saturday night. Although he feels that there is a lot of differences between the two, fans were left astounded to see the uncanny resemblance between Bogdan Guskov and Anthony Smith when the fighter popped up on everyone’s radar earlier this year.
Fighting at UFC Vegas 86, ‘Czarevitch’ enjoyed a superb KO win over Zac Pauga within the very first round. Whilst the performance itself was worth commending, Guskov’s interaction with Anthony Smith made it even better. Following the win, the 31-year-old linked up with Smith, who was on analyst duty. Since then, the two have also gone on to have a sparring session at Xtreme Couture MMA as well.
Naturally, MMA fans on social media also saw the funny side of things with the identical fighters. As such, they even began suggesting adding Josh Emmett to the pack to have triplets, and the addition of a bald Marvin Vettori to complete the quartet. Owing to their appearance, many drew comparisons between them and the orcs from the ‘Lord of the Rings’ lore. Thus, Ryan Spann will have to brave the fears of the past when he faces Guskov, whether he likes to admit it or not.