UFC Vegas 37 is chock full of storylines to follow on Saturday night. Here are several of the key narratives heading into the event inside Las Vegas, Nevada’s UFC APEX.
The major storylines at UFC Vegas 37
Can Anthony Smith Stave Off Spann and Continue Recent Success?
In 2019, Anthony Smith was on top of the world. He was the winner of three straight that included stoppage victories over legends like Rashad Evans and Shogun Rua. The hot streak led him right into a matchup with UFC light heavyweight GOAT Jon Jones.
Despite losing the title fight, Smith rebounded nicely with a fourth-round submission of perennial contender Alexander Gustafsson. A rough patch with losses to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic soon followed, but Smith was again able to right the ship versus talent lower down the division ladder in Devin Clark and Jimmy Crute.
In what will be his eighth main event appearance, Smith faces Ryan Spann in yet another test to see if he can stave off a hard-hitting prospect on his way back to championship aspirations. Spann has won nine of his last 10 overall and has won three of his five UFC victories by stoppage. Making him a formidable foe.
“Listen, I don’t want to take this too deep, because there’s no beef there,” Smith said on “>The MMA Hour. “I definitely don’t have his respect, which is fine. I will next Saturday night, and I promise you that, but he’s not scary to me because he’s big, strong, and black. He’s like every single cousin I have on my dad’s side, like, it’s not intimidating to me. Maybe he’s not used to that, but big black scary guys don’t make me nervous.”
Regardless of how nervous Smith is, it is a pivotal fight for the 33-year-old, who is currently ranked sixth in the UFC light heavyweight rankings (Spann is ranked 11th). With Teixeira set to challenge champion Jan Blachowicz in October, a big win here could place Smith in prime position for another run at a title shot.
Will Ion Cutelaba Notch First Win Since 2019?
After crushing Henrique da Silva in just 22 seconds to cap off an ultra-intense pre-fight drama show, Moldova’s Ion Cutelaba emerged as a prospect to watch in the light heavyweight division with a penchant for incredible knockout victories.
He followed up the da Silva win with another vicious third-round stoppage of Gadzhimurad Antigulov, leading many to believe that “The Hulk” would bear a similar destructive presence to the Marvel superhero that provides his nickname.
However, the fast-tracking didn’t pay off, as Cutelaba alternated losses and wins to title challenger Teixeira, Khalil Rountree, and top prospect Magomed Ankalaev. Though the Ankalaev stoppage was controversial, the Russian left no doubt in the pair’s rematch and scored another knockout of Cutelaba.
Down two straight, Cutelaba drew with Dustin Jacoby in his most recent outing. It’s been two years since Cuteleba had his hand raised in the Octagon, and he faces another tough test in Clark, a Jon Jones training partner.
Clark has fought both halves of the main event and has won two of his last three fights. Both victories coming over heavy-handed opposition in Dequan Townsend and Alonzo Menifield.
Cutelaba, who has spent his camp under the tutelage of Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, took to Instagram to proclaim, “I’m very hungry, I haven’t felt so good in a long time!”
Can Joaquin Buckley Recapture Viral Highlight-Reel Success?
After his incredible, spinning kick knockout of Impa Kasanganay went viral in October 2020, Joaquin Buckley was a breakout star in the promotion.
When he followed up that performance by starching then-undefeated Jordan Wright soon after, fans were ready to coronate Buckley as the “Next Big Thing.” But a loss to Italy’s Alessio Di Chirico at UFC on ABC 1 halted the Missourian’s momentum.
At UFC Vegas 37, the 27-year-old will look to get back on track against Brazil’s Antonio Arroyo, a fighter who won twice on the Contender Series (once on the Brazilian version and once on the original, U.S. version) before signing with the UFC.
Arroyo, 32, is 0-2 in the Octagon but will be the much larger man at 6-foot-3 against the 5-foot-10 Buckley in their main-card middleweight matchup. In this one, Buckley is again looking for a knockout performance bonus.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in September, Buckley said, “I am looking for the next big thing. Because everyone thinks, you know, that was a big deal. I got something brand new coming. So, we got some things in store. Another viral knockout.”
UFC Vegas 37 takes place in the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event kicks off at 4 pm with preliminary action and then is followed by the main card at 7 pm ET. The entire card airs exclusively on ESPN+.
–Field Level Media
