PREVIEW: UFC Fight Night 220

Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann face off in UFC Fight Night 220 at the Apex Arena. The two look to close out an intriguing card and put their names in the hat for a top-five ranking.

There is a good chance that a few fights on the main card could outshine the main event, with the co-main being the main threat in this regard. This bout will see Andre Muniz face off against Brendan Allen.

Main Event

Nikita Krylov 54/100 | Ryan Spann 13/10

The spotlight will very much be on the light heavyweight division as Ukraine’s Nikita Krylov and USA’s Ryan Spann takes place.

Nikita Krylov (29-9) has always put emphasis on his desire to secure the title. The 30-year-old has faced former UFC champions and title challengers in Glover Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz, Magomed, Ankalaev, and Alexander Gustafsson, suffering defeat in three of those ties.

Now, after picking up successive high-profile victories in impressive fashion over Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir, he seeks further hone his well-rounded capabilities.

In the blue corner, Ryan Spann (21-7), finds himself in a similar boat as his current opponent. The 31-year-old has bounced from massive wins to high-profile losses, slowing down his ascent in the light heavyweight division.

Solid victories over Misha Cirkunov and Sam Alvey have been disrupted by losses to Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker, but recent back-to-back triumphs over Ion Cutelaba and Dominick Reyes have boosted the likeliness of a top-five ranking.

Verdict: Nikita Krylov 54/100

Nikita Krylov is as battle-tested as they come, since entering the UFC in 2013, “The Miner” has taken on the best of the light heavyweight division with vast experience.

However, “Superman” Spann is no stranger to being the underdog, entering his sixth straight fight as such. I think that the American is best as a first-round fighter looking to land heavy shots.

Knowing how quickly he starts Krylov will be prepared to close the distance and grapple early if needed. Aiming to exhaust Spann and drag him into the later rounds.

Co-main

André Muniz 4/10 | Brendan Allen 7/4

The co-main event of the evening will feature Andre Muniz and Brendan Allen in the middleweight division. Muniz has a slight advantage in terms of physical attributes, while the numbers point towards Allen being a much more well-rounded fighter. 

Andre Muniz (23-4) made his way through Dana White’s contender series in 2018. The two wins on DW’s series earned him a contract, and the 33-year-old has repaid the faith. 

Undefeated under the UFC banner with seven wins (four by way of submission) emphasises the strong point in the Brazilian’s game. His most recent unanimous decision victory over top-ranked Uriah Hall has put his name firmly on the path to a title shot.

Brendan Allen (20-5) also made his mark on DW’s contender series, but in 2019. The 27-year-old has been far more active amassing 10 fights in three years.

The number of fights he’s taken on could be the reason for his two losses in the UFC after failing to take the necessary time off in many pundits’ opinions. The American’s three-fight win streak sees him meet a similar rising opponent that is bound to be the fight of his life.

Verdict: André Muniz 4/10

Brenden Allen is a well-rounded fighter, standing in a conventional stance without fear of ending up anywhere. What that means is he is happy to stand or take the fight to the ground and has even admitted to neglecting takedown defence in some camps because he is so comfortable fighting off his back.

That is not a luxury he can expect from a grappling specialist like Muniz and is likely to prove his downfall. If you’re looking to really take a punt, Muniz by submission is a major probability. I’ll be playing it safe, backing Muniz to win at 4/10.

Top Treble for UFC Fight Night 220:

Muniz Win 4/10
Sakai Win 7/10
Lainesse Win 33/20

Treble to win at 53/10

Full card predictions

Main Card: 02:00 CAT, Sunday 26 February

• Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (54/100) vs Ryan Spann (13/10): Krylov
• Middleweight André Muniz (4/10) vs Brendan Allen (7/4): Muniz
• Heavyweight Augusto Sakai (7/10) vs Don’Tale Mayes (46/10): Sakai
• Flyweight (w) Tatiana Suarez (1/9) vs Montana De La Rosa (46/10): Suarez
• Welterweight Mike Malott (42/100) vs Yohan Lainesse (33/20): Lainesse

Prelims: 23:00 CAT, Saturday 25 February

• Flyweight (w) Jasmine Jasudavicius (1/1) vs Gabriella Fernandes (73/100): Jasudavicius
• Lightweight Jordan Leavitt (86/100) vs Victor Martinez (84/100): Leavitt
• Lightweight Joe Solecki (2/13) vs Carl Deaton III (37/10): Solecki
  Catchweight (130lb) Ode’ Osbourne (5/4) vs Charles Johnson (57/100): Johnson
• Lightweight Rafael Alves (14/10) vs Nurollo Aliev (51/100): Aliev
  Bantamweight (w) Hailey Cowan (76/100) vs Ailin Perez (96/100): Cowan
• Bantamweight Garrett Armfield (59/100) vs José Johnson (12/10): Johnson
• Lightweight Erick Gonzalez (31/20) vs Trevor Peek (9/20): Peek