Is there bad blood between Ryan Spann and Anthony Smith?

The rivalry between Ryan Spann and Anthony Smith got somewhat personal in the lead-up to their fight at UFC Fight Night 192 in September 2021. It was Spann's comments before the bout that Smith took personally, leading to a post-fight confrontation between the pair.

After Smith picked up a first-round submission win over Spann, 'Lionheart' stood over his downed rival and yelled at him.

As soon as Spann got back up, security personnel rushed inside the octagon to de-escalate the situation. However, there no longer appears to be bad blood between the two as Ryan Spann immediately commended Smith for his victory before being embraced by the UFC veteran.

Watch Ryan Spann and Anthony Smith trade words post-fight in the video below:

Ryan Spann was being dismissive of Smith's skills and accomplishments in the sport. The UFC veteran was clearly angered by the lack of respect displayed by his rival and let his emotions get the better of him. Speaking at the UFC Vegas 37 post-fight press conference, Smith explained what prompted him to confront his rival as soon as the fight ended:

"I put a lot of work into this game. I’ve sacrificed my entire adult life to be here. To be in the position I’m sitting in right now... You can think you’re going to kick my a** and sometimes you might, but I think just respecting my journey is the only thing I ever expect from anybody. And he didn’t. Saying he doesn’t care what I’ve done, he doesn’t care about the main events, he doesn’t care who I’ve beaten. He doesn’t care about the bonuses. I bet he cares now."

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Ryan Spann seeks second straight win at UFC 281 after Anthony Smith loss

Ryan Spann was handed his second UFC stoppage loss by Anthony Smith at UFC Vegas 37. However, 'Superman' bounced back from that defeat in spectacular fashion, submitting Ion Cutelaba with a first-round guillotine choke this past May.

Spann will now hope to build a winning streak as he takes on former title challenger Dominick Reyes on tonight's UFC 281 card.

Ranked No.12 in the division, 'Superman' will also have the opportunity to break into the divisional top 10 when he takes on the No.7-ranked Reyes.

Meanwhile, the fight is also extremely important for Reyes, who finds himself on a three-fight skid after going undefeated in his first 12 pro-MMA fights.