note 110677 added to function.preg-replace

i have made this code for my php but i cant figure out how to remove only span tags.. the function is to copy what ever in the <b class="(.*)">(.*)</b> but, i want to remove the span class or span style. the grabbed <b class="sleepy"><span class="good" style="color: white; font-weight: bold; text-shadow: 0px 0px 0.4em #FF9966, 0px 0px 0.4em #FF9966, 0px 0px 0.4em #FF9966, 0px 0px 0.4em #FF9966, 0px 0px 0.4em #FF9966;" title="CODER">blood</span></b> my php preg_match('%<b class="(.*)">(.*)</b>%U', $mess, $mem); $name = $mem[2]; how do i copy "blood" without span class, because some "blood" dont have span class and span style and some have ---- Server IP: 69.147.83.199 Probable Submitter: 219.92.17.233 ---- Manual Page -- http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.preg-replace.php Edit -- https://master.php.net/note/edit/110677 Del: integrated -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/110677/integrated Del: useless -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/110677/useless Del: bad code -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/110677/bad+code Del: spam -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/110677/spam Del: non-english -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/110677/non-english Del: in docs -- https://master.php.net/note/delete/110677/in+docs Del: other reasons-- https://master.php.net/note/delete/110677 Reject -- https://master.php.net/note/reject/110677 Search -- https://master.php.net/manage/user-notes.php