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The Fight Brief

Mario Pinto vs. Ryan Spann

UFC Fight Night · September 5, 2026 · Accor Arena · Main Card 3:00 PM ET

The brief

What kind of fight
Undefeated prospect vs. veteran finisher
Finish likelihood
High
The line
No line posted yet
The stakes
Heavyweight · Main Card

The read

Pinto's youth, power and unblemished record make him the favorite, but Spann's submission grappling and knockout power mean this is a live crossroads fight either way.

If Pinto can keep this standing and use his power first, his perfect record should stay intact; if Spann finds a takedown or a scramble, his guillotine is a real threat.

Expect a competitive, finish-live heavyweight fight.

The matchup

Mario Pinto
Undefeated Prospect
Top-15 ranked · Heavy hands · Perfect record
GrapplingStriking
Ryan Spann
Powerful Submission Threat
Heavy hands · Submission grappling · UFC veteran
GrapplingStriking

This pairs a perfect record against a proven finisher moving up in weight.

Pinto has never lost and has finished more than half his UFC opponents, while Spann brings far more championship-level experience and 21 finishes of his own across a long career at light heavyweight and now heavyweight.

It's a real proving ground for Pinto's unbeaten run against the most experienced opponent of his career.

Tale of the tape

12-0Record24-11
28Age34
6'5"Height6'5"
79"Reach79"
Stance
PortugalCountryUnited States
Fightzone LondonTeamFortis MMA

The numbers

Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.

Mario PintoRyan Spann
Sig. strikes landed / min (volume)
Striking accuracy (precision)
Sig. strikes absorbed / min (lower is better)
Striking defense (strikes avoided)
Takedowns / 15 min (wrestling offense)
Takedown accuracy
Takedown defense
Submission attempts / 15 min

The fighters

Mario Pinto 12-0

Mario Pinto is a 28-year-old Portuguese heavyweight fighting out of Fightzone London, undefeated at 12-0 and ranked in the division's top 15. He has kept his perfect record intact through the UFC with wins over Austen Lane, Jhonata Diniz and Felipe Franco, and now faces his most experienced opponent yet in veteran Ryan Spann.

How they win
7 KO/TKO1 SUB4 DEC
How they lose

Has never lost.

Last 3 fights
  • WFelipe Franco · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · March 21, 2026
  • WJhonata Diniz · KO/TKO (punches)UFC Fight Night · October 11, 2025
  • WAusten Lane · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev · March 1, 2025

Full Pinto profile →

Ryan Spann 24-11

Superman

Ryan 'Superman' Spann is a 34-year-old former Legacy Fighting Alliance light heavyweight champion who has moved up to heavyweight, training out of Fortis MMA. He rides a two-fight win streak, a knockout of Marcus Buchecha and a submission of Lukasz Brzeski, into a step up against undefeated prospect Mario Pinto in Paris.

How they win
7 KO/TKO14 SUB3 DEC
Last 3 fights
  • WMarcus Buchecha · KO/TKO (right cross)UFC Fight Night · April 25, 2026
  • WLukasz Brzeski · Submission (guillotine choke)UFC Fight Night · July 19, 2025
  • LWaldo Cortes-Acosta · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night · March 15, 2025

Full Spann profile →