3 fights to look forward to and 2 fights that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann

After taking a rare weekend off, the UFC returns to its Las Vegas Apex for UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann.

There's no denying that this card was put together without casual fans in mind. The main event will feature two light heavyweight contenders who aren't known to many. That aside, it should be a promising matchup between two veterans trying to make one final run at the title.

Both main and preliminary cards are also filled with under-the-radar competitors. However, there are enough decent matchups that should make the event watchable. On that note, here are three fights to look forward to and two fights that will likely disappoint:

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Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 192: Joaquin Buckley vs. Antonio Arroyo

UFC Fight Night: Joaquin Buckley vs. Antonio Arroyo

Joaquin Buckley will look to once again capture the attention of UFC fans when he takes on Dana White's Contender Series alum Antonio Arroyo in the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 192.

In his last few fights, Buckley has proved to be a must-see act, with back-to-back highlight reel-worthy finishes at the tail end of 2020. Buckley won the UFC 'Knockout of the Year' award in 2020 for his spectacular spinning back kick KO of Impa Kasanganay at UFC Fight Night 179.

'New Mansa' followed up that performance with a second straight KO win, this time over Jordan Wright at UFC 255.

But Buckley lost momentum, and he fumbled at the start of 2021. He suffered a devastating KO against Alessio Di Chirico in the opening frame of his main card clash in January. So the 27-year-old up-and-comer will look to get back on track when he takes on Arroyo at UFC Fight Night 192.

Meanwhile, Arroyo will look to snag his first win in the UFC after impressing in his two Contender Series bouts. The Brazilian earned a UFC contract after defeating Stephen Regman in 2019. However, his first two fights in the UFC have been disappointments thus far, as he lost back-to-back unanimous decisions.

With both young competitors hungry for a much-needed bounce-back win, this showdown should provide entertaining action to set the pace for the main card.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night 192: Nate Maness vs. Tony Gravely

UFC Fight Night: Nate Maness vs. Tony Gravely [Photo via @tonygravely135 on Instagram]

Nate Maness and Tony Gravely will finally meet at UFC Fight Night 192 this weekend after their scheduled clash earlier this year was scrapped. This matchup has the makings to be one of the best fights of the night.

Maness has seen nothing but success in his UFC stint thus far, earning a unanimous decision win over Johnny Munoz Jr. last August. He followed that up with an impressive submission victory over Luke Sanders in November.

Meanwhile, Gravely dropped his octagon debut to Welsh stalwart Brett Johns in 2020, but has recovered with consecutive victories. The Contender Series alum edged Geraldo de Freitas Jr. at UFC Fight Night 182. He then earned a second-round stoppage win against Anthony Birchak in his most recent outing.

Currently, Gravely is one of the best bantamweights outside the rankings. Come fight night, Maness should be an opponent he could take care of without trouble. Nevertheless, this fight could turn out to be lopsided and might disappoint.

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Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 192: Ion Cutelaba vs. Devin Clark

UFC Fight Night: Ion Cutelaba vs. Devin Clark [Photos via @brownbearufc & @ioncutelaba on Instagram]

The co-main event at UFC Fight Night 192 will see two promising light heavyweights go at it. Ion Cutelaba and Devin Clark will look to take one step closer to cracking the 205-pound division rankings when they lock horns.

Cutelaba has struggled to find his footing of late. He's coming off back-to-back losses and a no-contest heading into Saturday's event. Despite his recent setbacks, Cutelaba is still a promising fighter who has only lost to ranked opponents.

Meanwhile, Clark had a successful start to 2020, beating Dequan Townsend and Alonzo Menifield. However, the 31-year-old had his momentum shattered when he lost to main eventer Anthony Smith. Clark has shown flashes of brilliance, but has faltered so far against ranked opposition, much like his opponent.

Cutelaba vs. Clark is a brilliant piece of UFC matchmaking. It's a fight that serves as a litmus test for both fighters. With two determined young guns set to clash in the co-main event, we can expect nothing short of an action-packed matchup.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night 192: Ariane Lipski vs. Mandy Bohm

UFC Fight Night: Ariane Lipski vs. Mandy Bohm [Photo via @mandy_monster_mma on Instagram]

Ariane Lipski will welcome newcomer Mandy Bohm to the octagon at the main card of UFC Fight Night 192. Initially scheduled for a Fight Night card two weeks ago, the two flyweights will finally get the opportunity to shine this weekend.

Lipski showed promise when she bounced back from two straight losses, scoring back-to-back victories over Isabela de Padua and Luana Carolina. However, her success turned out to be short-lived, as she lost in her two most recent outings.

Bohm, meanwhile, will look to kickstart her UFC career with a bang. The German fighter holds a 7-0 record, which she will try to protect against the veteran. A former TKO titleholder, Bohm will face the toughest test of her career thus far.

The issue with this fight, though, is that both competitors aren't proven fighters, which could lead to a lackluster affair. Moreover, reigning women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko has a vice-like grip over the division. Win or lose, it appears that neither Lipski nor Bohm are ready to make waves in the 125-pound weight class.

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Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 192: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann

UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann

The UFC light heavyweight division has taken on new life since Jon Jones' departure. Contenders such as Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann now have realistic odds of winning the crown as opposed to just fighting who 'Bones' will beat up next.

That's not to say that current titleholder Jan Blachowicz isn't an impressive champion. With him at the top, though, future title bouts between Blachowicz and any contender should at least make for a competitive matchup.

Nevertheless, Smith has slowly inched his way closer to the title conversation by derailing a couple of up-and-comers in his recent outings. 'Lionheart' submitted Devin Clark last November, before snagging a TKO win over Jimmy Crute in April.

On the flipside, Spann has largely dominated, apart from his lone UFC loss to Johnny Walker in 2020. A victory would propel the 30-year-old into his division's top ten and set him up for greater things to come.

With both contenders on the verge of contending for the title, this UFC Fight Night main-event battle should be an important one to decide future matchups in light heavyweight.