Ryan Spann says first heavyweight win at UFC 318 'almost surreal'

USA Today

5 days ago

NEW ORLEANS – Ryan Spann rebounded emphatically for his first heavyweight win.
Spann (23-11 MMA, 9-6 UFC) submitted Lukasz Brzeski (9-7-1 MMA, 1-6 UFC) with a guillotine choke in the first round of Saturday's UFC 318 prelims at Smoothie King Center. Spann is relieved after his heavyweight debut didn't go his way, where he was knocked out by Waldo Cortes-Acosta in March.
"I guess it's almost surreal because coach T.J., Charles, and coach Sayif, they basically walk me through the whole thing," Spann told reporters during his post-fight news conference. "That was 100 percent the coach's call (on heavyweight move). I just show up. I'm the bullet. I just do whatever. I'm going to be ready whatever weight."
So does that mean Spann would consider a move back down to light heavyweight?
"I have the blueprint for both so, it doesn't really matter," Spann said. "I'm not saying that (heavyweight being a permanent move). We'll see."
The 33-year-old explained how adjustments resulted in a much more successful outcome in his second appearance at heavyweight.
"Honestly I felt like the heavyweight debut was just me getting on the scale, thinking that I didn't have to weigh in," Spann said. "So, the last three weeks of that was atrocious. I wanted to make sure we finished, we executed. Big part of the game plan, we wanted to finish and execute. Tonight was the final preparation."