Athletes
Marcin Tybura: Repeat The Feat
Polish Heavyweight Is Looking To Impress In His Third Straight UFC Main Event
After claiming a big win in his last outing, Marcin Tybura could be forgiven for thinking he’d be fighting someone above him in the rankings in his next outing. But instead, he faces a tricky rematch against a vastly improved fighter.
Tybura will take on Moldova’s Serghei Spivac in the main event of UFC Vegas 95, which takes place Saturday night at the UFC APEX.
It’s a matchup that Tybura admitted he wasn’t joyous about when he first heard about it. But he’s embracing the opportunity to compete, and the chance to impress.
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“My first reaction was, I’d just rather fight someone else, someone with a higher ranking,” he admitted.
“But it's a UFC fight. Serghei is a tough opponent, so he was always a challenge for me, and, for sure, he’s developed a lot since our last fight. I love MMA, I love doing it. So whenever I'm facing somebody who I know is a challenge, I'm excited.
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“I just feel like, you gotta earn everything in your life by hard work and being consistent. And wherever I am right now, whatever place, it's a perfect place for me. From now on, I just go forward.”
Tybura earned a unanimous decision victory over Spivac back in February 2020 in Norfolk, Virginia, but he’s not putting too much stock in that win ahead of their rematch at the UFC APEX, with Spivac looking like a very different proposition to the man he shared a cage with four years ago.
“I feel like it's two completely different fights. I don't even base anything on my plan from our previous fight, because I know Serghei is a different fighter,” he said.
“He gained lots of weight, his skills are different, his power is different, and me myself, after our fight, I switched my coach, my club, and developed a lot since then. So this will be a totally different fight.”
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It will also be a totally different fight to his last outing, where he faced Australian Tai Tuivasa – a pure stand-up fighter – at UFC Vegas 88. The bout saw Tybura claim his first UFC submission win. It was a moment that left him justly proud.
“I was so excited after this,” he admitted.
“It was my first submission in the UFC. Before UFC, I was able to do it a lot, and actually, my base is Brazilian jiu-jitsu. So even though I’ve developed lots of striking skills, I still love jiu-jitsu.
“So being able to get this first submission in my UFC career, it was awesome. I love it. And you know, the fight itself was a brawl, first-round finish – everything combined together made it a great night.”
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Despite getting that win last time out, Tybura has been handed a rematch against Spivac, who is listed one place below him in the official UFC heavyweight rankings.
It means that, divisionally, it’s harder to move up the list with a win. But the Pole is trying his best to accentuate the positives, and is treating the bout as an opportunity to build his reputation.
“In regards to the ranking and position, winning this fight might not do a lot (for me) ranking-wise, but still, I feel like you can gain something in every fight,” he said.
“Putting on a good, great performance would be something, you know? Getting better attention from the people, bringing popularity for myself, stuff like this. So, that’s what I’m looking for – a great performance.”
As for the matchup itself, Tybura is confident that he has the skills to go 2-0 over “The Polar Bear” and move on to a matchup against someone further up the heavyweight rankings.
Marcin Tybura | Man Of The World
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Marcin Tybura | Man Of The World
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“I feel like this will be more like a striking game,” he suggested.
“I just have this image of this being a brawl. I hope Serghei will be a partner for this and we will put on a good show.
“I just believe in my abilities, my skills, my hunger for this game, how much I love the sport. I know how much I work for this, and all of everything I've been building up through the years just tells me that I win this fight.”
UFC Fight Night: Tybura vs Spivac 2 took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 10, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
