Tomorrow the UFC returns to the APEX and in the main event, we are going to see a battle between two top ten heavyweights. Fan favorite Tai Tuivasa (15-6) returns as he takes on Marcin Tybura (24-8).
Starting with Tuivasa, he desperately needs a win tomorrow night. Bam Bam is currently on a three-fight losing streak with the most recent loss coming back in September against Alexander Volkov. This is the second time in his career he’s been on a three-fight losing streak. After his first one, he won five straight to get into title contention. He’s hoping he can start a similar run tomorrow.
To do that, he’s going to have to beat Marcin Tybura. Tybura will enter the octagon having gone 7-2 in his last nine fights. The last time we saw him was last July against current interim champ Tom Aspinall. Aspinall made quick work of him finishing him in the first round. During his most recent stretch, the UFC’s 10th ranked heavyweight has wins over the likes of Blagoy ivanov, Walt Harris, and Alexandr Romanov.
UFC Vegas 88 Prediction
In my opinion, this is a really fight to break down because both men really only have one path to victory. For Tybura, he has to get the fight to the ground. If he’s not able to take down Tai Tuivasa, he’s not going to last long. He should use a little striking to setup the takedowns but immediately start to shoot.
From that, you can tell what Tuivasa needs to do. Tuivasa needs to keep things standing and use his superior speed and power to end the fight on the feet. So, who walks away with their hand raised at UFC Vegas 88? I actually really like Tuivasa in this matchup. He needs a win in the worst way and I think his power and speed is just going to be too much for Tybura. I say he gets a finish and I think he gets it done in the first.
Prediction: Tai Tuivasa by TKO – Round 1