Light Heavyweights Johnny Walker, Ryan Spann to Meet at UFC 253 on Sept. 19

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A matchup between light heavyweight prospects Johnny Walker and Ryan Spann is expected to go down at UFC 253.

ESPN was first to report the booking. UFC 253 takes place on Sept. 19 and will be held at either the UFC Apex in Las Vegas or on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The card is expected to be headlined by a middleweight championship tilt between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Henrique Costa.

Walker generated plenty of hype after first-round finishes of Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and Misha Cirkunov in his first three Octagon appearances. However, the 28-year-old Brazilian has since dropped back-to-back fights against Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov. The Rio de Janeiro native has finished all but one of his 17 career triumphs inside the distance.

Spann, meanwhile, enters the bout on an eight-fight winning streak that includes four triumphs in UFC competition. Most recently, “Superman” took a split verdict against Sam Alvey at UFC 249 on May 9. The Fortis MMA product is 18-5 as a pro, with 11 wins via submission and four by KO/TKO.