Marcin Tybura won against Tai Tuivasa at UFC Vegas 88, surviving an early onslaught and securing his victory with a rear-naked choke submission in the opening round.
Tybura, Marcin, might be sporting a fresh scar post-UFC Vegas 88. But hey, he’s walking away a winner after a crazy few minutes in the octagon with Tai Tuivasa.
He was up against one of the sport’s heaviest hitters, Tuivasa. Tybura knew he’d have to ride out an early storm. And boy, did that storm come. Tuivasa charged at him, fists flying, right off the bat. He closed the gap and landed a massive elbow on Tybura. It opened up a gash on his head, and blood started to trickle down his face.
But Tybura? He hung in there. Despite the early onslaught, he survived. Then, he took Tuivasa to the ground. That’s where he secured his victory. Tybura pummeled Tuivasa with punches until he spotted an opening. He locked on a rear-naked choke that eventually put his opponent to sleep.
The end came at 4:08 in the opening round. Tybura clinched the submission win.
“It was striking and looking for the takedown,” Tybura said, reflecting on his fight strategy. He knew about the cut. His first takedown attempt didn’t work out, so he knew he had to try again. “He was tough on the ground. I punched him so hard, and he didn’t give up. He’s a very tough man.”
Tybura had to adapt when his opponent managed to turn on the ground. He spotted a submission opportunity and took it. “I choked him for so long. He was having a very hard time, but he wasn’t giving up. I heard him breathing so hard, his skin changing color. I had a little bit more power to apply, and I did.”
The fight started like a classic Tuivasa bout. He came out swinging, connecting on more than a few punches. The elbows that opened up Tybura’s head wound gave Tuivasa a confidence boost. But that ultimately led to his downfall.
Once Tybura clinched up with Tuivasa, he worked relentlessly to bring the fight to the ground. The heavyweights never got up again. Tybura kept control with a brutal ground and pound attack, but Tuivasa just wouldn’t quit.
So, Tybura switched to the submission. Even then, Tuivasa refused to tap out until he eventually just passed out from the rear-naked choke. This win was crucial for Tybura, especially after his loss to current interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Now, he’s 3-1 in his last four fights.
He’s hoping this latest win will help him climb back up the heavyweight ladder.
“I just want to prove to everybody that I’m capable of doing good in the top 10,” Tybura said. “Anyone from the top 10 would be great for me.”
As for Tuivasa, he’s facing his fourth consecutive loss — all by knockout or submission. It’s entirely possible that his time with the UFC might be winding down after this latest setback.