Spann opponents receive the same ominous alert: Protect your
neck. Many do not heed the warnings.
The Fortis
MMA rep nailed down his spot on the
Ultimate Fighting Championship roster when he dispatched
Emiliano
Sordi with a guillotine choke in the first round of their light
heavyweight showcase during
Season 2 of
Dana White’s Contender Series on June 19, 2018 at the UFC
Training Center in Las Vegas. Sordi, who went on to win a
million-dollar
Professional Fighters League tournament a little more than a
year later, issued his surrender just 26 seconds into Round 1.
Spann sent the Argentinian careening backward with a crisp right
hand, shut down his bid to scramble and caught the guillotine in
the transition. Sordi tried briefly to free himself, tapped and
then lost consciousness before referee Mark Smith could arrive on
the scene.
As Spann braces for his
UFC Fight Night 274 heavyweight showdown with Marcus
Almeida on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, his
sub-minute finish against Sordi remains one of his most memorable
submissions. Four others to consider:
Ryan
Spann vs. Devin
Clark
UFC Fight Night 161
Oct. 12, 2019 | Tampa, Florida
Spann continued to establish himself as an emerging threat at 205
pounds when he turned away the
Jackson-Wink MMA product with a guillotine choke in the second
round of their featured prelim at Amalie Arena. Clark waved the
white flag 2:01 into Round 2. Spann did not show much interest in
engaging throughout a tepid first round. However, he gathered
strength in the second, dazed Clark with a sweeping left hook out
of nowhere, flurried with punches and snapped down on the
guillotine choke. Spann then tightened his squeeze while the “Brown
Bear” retreated to a kneeling position and forced the tapout.
Ryan
Spann vs. Ion
Cutelaba
UFC on ESPN 36
May 14, 2022 | Las Vegas
Spann rebounded from a loss to Anthony
Smith when he disposed of the Moldovan marauder with a
guillotine choke in the first round of their light heavyweight
co-main event at the UFC Apex. Cutelaba bowed out 2:22 into Round
1. Providing support for the Jan
Blachowicz–Aleksandar
Rakic headliner, Spann conceded three takedowns in the
abbreviated affair but managed to regain his footing each time. He
eventually kicked away the persistent Cutelaba, stood and cinched
the choke when “The Hulk” drove forward in an ill-advised bid for
another takedown. Spann then muscled his way into a mounted
position, ratcheted up the pressure and completed the
submission.
Ryan
Spann vs. Ovince St.
Preux
UFC 307
Oct. 5, 2024 | Salt Lake City
Spann wasted little time in getting down to business when he swept
aside the former University of Tennessee linebacker with a
guillotine choke in the first round of their light heavyweight
prelim at the Delta Center. St. Preux conceded defeat just 95
seconds into Round 1. Operating in the shadows of the Alex
Pereira–Khalil
Rountree main event, Spann spun around the Strikeforce
veteran with a booming right hand, gave chase and countered a
single-leg takedown attempt by targeting the neck. Soon, a
high-elbow guillotine was locked in. Spann lowered “OSP” onto his
back, climbed to full mount and maximized torque to produce the
tapout.
Ryan
Spann vs. Lukasz
Brzeski
UFC 318
July 19, 2025 | New Orleans
Spann took care of “The Bull” with a guillotine choke in the first
round of their heavyweight prelim at the Smoothie King Center.
Submitted for the first time in his 18-fight career, Brzeski
capitulated 2:47 into Round 1. Spann executed a takedown, climbed
to full mount on multiple occasions and threatened the Pole with
arm-triangle chokes. Brzeski was up to the challenge initially.
However, in his haste to escape, he left his neck exposed. Spann
weaved his arms into place, bit down on his trusted guillotine,
bullied the kickboxer into a seated position at the base of the
cage and drew out the tap.