UFC Vegas 37 Main Card Betting Preview

The UFC heads back to its APEX Facility in Las Vegas Nevada for UFC Vegas 37 on Saturday, September 18, 2021.

In the main event, former UFC title challenger Anthony “Lionheart” Smith will take on Ryan “Superman” Spann in a battle between ranked light heavyweights. Smith will be looking to improve on a two-fight winning streak while Spann will be looking to break into the Top 10 with a win over the 6th ranked Smith.

Fellow light heavyweights Ion Cutelaba and Devin Clark will face off in the co-main event with both fighters aiming to move up the ladder as well. Former KSW flyweight champion Ariane Lipski will also see action in the main card as she takes on Mandy Bohm in the third bout of the main card.

Let’s take at the UFC Vegas 37 main card and make our predictions.

Anthony Smith vs Ryan Spann

Anthony Smith is the no. 6 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The 33-year old from Corpus Christi, Texas is a former UFC light heavyweight title challenger who also fought under Bellator and Strikeforce. Smith owns wins over the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir, and Rashad Evans.

Smith has a record of 35-16 with 19 knockouts and 13 submission victories. He has won back-to-back fights after losing three of his previous four, including a title challenge against Jon Jones. Lionheart is 6-4 tall with a reach of 76 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance.

Ryan Spann is the no. 11 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. The 30-year old from Memphis, Tennessee is a former Legacy Fighting Alliance light heavyweight champion. Spann joined the UFC in 2018 after appearing in the Contender Series. He is 5-1 inside the Octagon with his only loss coming at the hands of Johnny Walker.

Spann is 19-6 with 5 knockouts and 11 submission victories. He is 6-5 tall with a reach of 79 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance. Spann knocked out Misha Cirkunov inside one round in his most recent bout.

Spann is the younger and more athletic fighter between these two and he also possesses the ground game to give Lionheart troubles. He also has the better striking output and has the edge in range here being the longer fighter. If this stays on the feet, it won’t be a walk in the park for Lionheart.

However, Smith is a crafty veteran and he knows how to find ways to win. He is also durable and is able to win fights despite taking damage. People started writing him off last year but he’s bounced back with back-to-back victories and has looked good in both bouts. I like Smith’s value here and will go with him.

Prediction: Anthony Smith

Ion Cutelaba vs Devin Clark

Ion Cutelaba is a former European Combat Sambo Champion. The 27-year old Moldovan fought under WWFC before joining the UFC in 2016. He has not won a fight since knocking out Khalil Rountree in 2019 and is coming off a split draw against Dustin Jacoby.

Cutelaba has a record of 15-6 with 12 knockouts and two submission wins. He is a southpaw who is 6-1 tall with a 75-inch reach.

Devin Clark is a former RFA light heavyweight champion who was discovered in the Dana White Looking for a Fight series. The 31-year old from Sioux Falls, South Dakota is 6-5 inside the UFC Octagon and heads to this bout after a submission loss against Anthony Smith last November.

Clark has a record of 12-5 with three knockouts and one submission defeat. He is six feet tall with a reach of 75 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance.

Cutelaba will have the advantage early as that’s where he is usually dangerous. He will be looking to keep this fight on the feet where he has the edge over his opponent. On the other hand, Clark will take this fight to the mat, where he can negate Cutelaba’s aggression and striking.

If Clark can turn this into a wrestling contest, his technical wrestling and conditioning will carry him to victory. However, Cutelaba should start strong and will be able to pile up the early points. Clark will try to make a fight out of this by wrestling on the mat but Cutelaba won’t be easily taken down. He should pile up enough points before he gets outwrestled, if at all.

Prediction: Ion Cutelaba

Ariane Lipski vs Mandy Bohm

Ariane Lipski is the former KSW women’s flyweight champion. The 27-year old from Curitiba, Brazil joined the UFC in 2019 but has struggled under the promotion with only two wins in six bouts. Lipski has lost her last two against Antonina Shevchenko and Montana De La Rosa.

She is 13-7 with six knockouts and three submission losses. Lipski is 5-6 tall with a reach of 67 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance.

Mandy Bohm fought under the German MMA Championship and won the TKO women’s flyweight belt. The 32-year old from Germany will be making her UFC debut in this bout. In her last bout, she competed for Bellator MMA, defeating Griet Eeckhout via decision.

Bohm is undefeated in her MMA career with a record of 7-0 with two knockouts and three submission victories. She is 5-7 tall with a reach of 71 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance.

Lipski has struggled to pick up wins in the UFC but she has fought quality opposition. If she can keep this on her feet and fight from range, she can be successful. However, Lipski has struggled with her grappling and defensive wrestling in the UFC and that could be a problem here because Bohm loves to drag her opponents to the mat.

When you look at the level of opposition, it’s a no-contest in favor of Lipski but having said that, if she can’t defend the takedowns, this is going to be over for her. This bout will be decided by Lipski’s takedown defense which to me, isn’t good enough to keep this bout on the feet. Bohm gets Lipski down and grinds her for a win.

Prediction: Mandy Bohm

Arman Tsarukyan vs Christos Giagos

Arman Tsarukyan is the no. 14 ranked lightweight in the UFC. The 24-year old from Georgia in the former USSR started his career in Russia and was the FEMP lightweight champion. He joined the UFC in 2019 and has won his first three UFC bouts.

Tsarukyan is 16-2 with five knockouts and five submission victories. He is 5-7 tall with a 72-inch reach and fights as an orthodox fighter.

Christos Giagos is a former lightweight champion at the Tachi Palace Fights and RFA promotions. This 31-year old Californian joined the UFC in 2018. After losing to Charles Oliveira in his debut, he has put up a record of 4-1 inside the UFC Octagon.

Giagos is 19-8 with seven knockouts and four submission wins. He is 5-10 tall with a reach of 71 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Giagos is a veteran who is crafty on the feet and has underrated grappling. He’s also a fighter who knows how to improvise and find ways to win. Against a youngster in Tsarukyan, he should provide a good challenge.

However, Tsarukyan has all the physical advantages here. He is younger, bigger, and more explosive. He throws very hard kicks that will slow down the veteran. Tsarukyan should also dominate the grappling exchanges. I think Giagos does everything to keep this competitive but the longer this goes, the size and strength advantage of Tsarukyan will show.

Prediction: Arman Tsarukyan

Joaquin Buckley vs Antonio Arroyo

Joaquin Buckley is a veteran of Bellator and Legacy Fighting Alliance. He joined the UFC in 2020 and is just 2-2 inside the UFC Octagon. The 27-year old from St. Louis, Missouri will always be remembered for his spectacular spinning back kick knockout win over Impa Kasanganay in October 2020

Buckley has a record of 12-4 with knockouts. He is 5-10 tall with a reach of 76 inches and is a southpaw.

Antonio Arroyo fought under LFA, Fierce FC, and SMF among others before being discovered in the Contender Series where he won two bouts. After earning his UFC contract, Arroyo went on to lose his first two UFC bouts. The 32-year old from Belem, Brazil is coming off a decision loss to Deron Winn last December 19, 2020.

Arroyo is 9-4 with 4 knockouts and four submission wins. He is 6-3 tall with a reach of 73 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Arroyo is a Muay Thai fighter who has Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who has not been able to showcase his skills as he’s spent most of his first two UFC bouts on his back. Buckley should be a welcome sight because he doesn’t go for takedowns. On the feet, Arroyo is taller and rangier which should be to his advantage.

But Buckley loves a stand-up battle. He fights in blitzes and is a very heavy puncher. He also likes to hit the body and slow his opponents down. Buckley is also the more athletic fighter, by a mile and that should be the main difference here.

Prediction: Joaquin Buckley

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