A battle between light heavyweight prospects is the latest addition to UFC 253.
Ryan Spann (18-5 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will face Johnny Walker (17-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) on the Sept. 19 card, which is likely to take place on “Fight Island” at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report by ESPN. The person asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has yet to make an announcement.
Fortis MMA’s Spann has won his first four UFC fights and his past eight in a row overall. He is coming off a split decision win over Sam Alvey at UFC 249 in May.
After bursting into the UFC scene in 2018 with three straight “Performance of the Night” bonuses, Walker finds himself in unfamiliar territory. He is coming off back-to-back losses to Corey Anderson and most recently Nikita Krylov in March. He will look to avoid a three-fight losing skid, when he faces a stern test in Spann.
The latest UFC 253 card now includes:
- Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Randa Markos
- Heili Alateng vs. Casey Kenney
- Mara Romero Borella vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
- Hakeem Dawodu vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
- Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane
- Ryan Spann vs. Johnny Walker
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