FB TW IG YT VK TH
Search
MORE FROM OUR CHANNELS

Wrestlezone
FB TW IG YT VK TH

Preview: UFC Fight Night 218 ‘Lewis vs. Spivak’

Tybura vs. Ivanov


Heavyweights

#10 HW | Marcin Tybura (23-7, 10-6 UFC) vs. #15 HW | Blagoy Ivanov (19-4, 3-3 UFC)

ODDS: Tybura (-145), Ivanov (+125)

Advertisement
Tybura just keeps chugging along. He has become the picture of consistency in recent years, but the Pole has had some ups and downs getting there. Coming to the UFC as a decorated fighter in 2016, Tybura found his wrestling-heavy approach stifled by the much larger Tim Johnson, forcing him to pivot to a more striking-based style for his next few fights, which included an impressive knockout of Viktor Pesta. Tybura then pivoted back around to a more well-rounded approach, but a rough stretch of four losses in five fights—including knockouts suffered against Shamil Abdurakhimov and Augusto Sakai that look unlikely in retrospect—suggested he had hit his ceiling. However, since losing to Sakai in 2019, Tybura has taken care of business with six wins in seven fights, taking advantage of slower or more breakable opponents in impressive fashion, including outlasting Alexander Romanov in impressive fashion for a narrow decision victory in August. Tybura’s lone loss during this stretch, a 2021 outing against Alexander Volkov, was one-sided enough that there is still a sense he does not have much upside as an actual contender. Nevertheless, he will look to keep impressing against Ivanov. Long one of the best heavyweights outside of the UFC before coming to the promotion in 2018, Bulgaria’s “Baga” is another unremarkably consistent fighter. Seemingly indestructible—beyond his showings inside the cage, Ivanov survived being stabbed in the heart in 2012—he is a lesson in how much durability matters in the heavyweight division. He can be a slow grinder that does not set much of a pace, but he has found plenty of success just by refusing to go away and hitting his opponents hard. A reliable knockout threat prior to his Octagon debut, Ivanov has found it much harder to find a finish inside the UFC. Combined with his slower pace as he has gotten older, he is now dealing with thinner margins for victory than ever, even though he did manage to eke out a win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima in May. There is a chance he can plug Tybura hard enough and frequent enough to win rounds or even score an outright finish. Still, the likelier scenario seems to be Tybura getting more done in what should be an ugly fight either way. The pick is Tybura via decision.



Jump To »
Lewis vs. Spivak
Jung vs. Clark
Tybura vs. Ivanov
Choi vs. Nelson
Kinoshita vs. Fugitt
The Prelims

More

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required
Latest News

POLL

Which UFC contender is most likely to rise to a first-time divisional champion in 2025?

FIGHT FINDER


FIGHTER OF THE WEEK

Georges St. Pierre

TOP TRENDING FIGHTERS


+ FIND MORE