RIO DE JANEIRO – There’s no set way to study an opponent’s footwork.
Some fighters watch film religiously, to the point where they feel like they know the person they’re about to fight. Put UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones in that corner.
Then there are those who literally couldn’t care less about what someone previously has done. Sitting in a room watching old fights is a coach’s job. Donald Cerrone’s in that camp.
Then there’s light heavyweight Ryan Spann. He’s all about old fights. But only if they’re his old fights.
“I watch me – how to beat me,” Spann told MMA Junkie in advance of a meeting with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 237, which takes place Saturday at Jeunesse Arena.
Spann (15-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has all of his fights on tape and watches them on the regular. When he’s in the gym, he feels they’re the accurate record of what to do – or not do – when he’s in a particular situation.
Spann is not the only one that checks out his technique. But to him, it’s like a checkup to make sure he’s on point as a fight nears.
“It all comes back again when I need it,” he said.
There’s a mountain of footage on his upcoming opponent, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (23-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC). None of it will be digested by Spann, whose strongest memory of “Little Nog” might be the time the Brazilian legend’s team lent him focus mitts backstage at an event.
Of course, Spann remembers the big highlights from Nogueira’s career, as well, and he anticipates facing the best version of the fighter he’s known since he started fighting.
“Whether we get him or not we’ll see,” he said. “But I come to win.”
Watch the above video to get Spann’s thoughts on the fight.
And for more on UFC 237, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
