UFC Vegas 37 went down last night (Sat., Sept. 18, 2021) from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada which saw Anthony Smith defeat Ryan Spann via first round submission (see it again here). In the co-main event, Ion Cutelaba defeated Devin Clark via unanimous decision, while Joaquin Buckley scored himself another highlight reel knockout (see it again here).
Biggest Winner: Anthony Smith
“Lionheart” picked up his third straight win after defeating Spann in a highly-entertaining bout despite only lasting one round. Smith returned to his finishing ways by submitting Spann in the closing moments of round one after dropping him on multiple occasions. The win for Smith ties his longest win streak in three years and will put him right back on track to be mentioned in the title conversation in a division that isn’t exactly as stacked as it once was. Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones are gone, opening the path for others to punch their tickets to the big dance. The victory could very well catapult him into the Top 5 and closer to another chance of becoming UFC champion since he never got his rematch against “Bones.”
Runner Up: Joaquin Buckley
Another “New Mansa” fight, another highlight added to the reel. It took Buckley three rounds, but he managed to dispose of Antonio Arroyo thanks to a devastating uppercut coupled with some ground-and-pound. The win puts him back in the win column and gives him his fifth knockout victory in as many wins. Buckley has created quite a reputation for himself and he seems to always add to it by wowing fight fans with one spectacular finish after another. He’s quickly becoming a fan favorite and is fattening his piggy bank in the process, earning his third $50,000 post-fight bonus.
Honorable Mention: Carlston Harris
Harris came in as the underdog in his fight against Welterweight standout Impa Kasanganay, but “Mocambique” was all about upsetting the bookies. Indeed, Harris scored his fifth straight win by knocking out Kasanganay in the very first round. He improves to 2-0 inside the Octagon and also earned a nice $50,000 post-fight bonus check for his stunning upset. Not a bad night at the office.
Biggest Loser (s): Mike Rodriguez and Antonio Arroyo
Losing in the very first round isn’t ideal for Ryan Spann’s future aspirations, but he can rest easy knowing he will still have a spot on the bloated UFC roster in a couple of weeks since he’s been doing well for himself inside the Octagon. The same can not be said for Rodriguez and Arroyo. Both men suffered their third straight defeats inside the Apex, with Rodriguez coming up short against Tafon Nchukwi via unanimous decision. As for Arroyo, he was on the wrong end of a Joaquin Buckley highlight, and his third round knockout loss puts him at 0-3 inside the Octagon, not a good look when it comes time for UFC matchmakers start making their next round of cuts.
For completed UFC Vegas 37 play-by-play updates and results click here