Fight Coverage
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Tybura vs Spivac 2
Setting The Table For Saturday’s Action At The UFC APEX
Following international stops in Manchester and Abu Dhabi, the action returns to Las Vegas for an event rife with emerging names looking to take another step forward in their respective divisions and headlining heavyweights eager to further define where they stand in the big boy hierarchy.
It promises to be an entertaining evening of action at the UFC APEX and we’ve got all the scoops on what to expect when these sets of competitors hit the Octagon this weekend, so let’s get into it.
Main Event: Marcin Tybura vs Serghei Spivac
Location: UFC APEX — Las Vegas, Nevada
How to Watch: ESPN / ESPN+
Other Main Card Matches:
- Damon Jackson vs Chepe Mariscal
- Danny Barlow vs Nikolay Veretennikov
- Chris Gutierrez vs Quang Le
- Yana Santos vs Chelsea Chandler
- Toshiomi Kazama vs Charalampos Grigoriou
Prelim Matches:
- Karol Rosa vs Pannie Kianzad
- Jhonata Diniz vs Karl Williams
- Youssef Zalal vs Jarno Errens
- Stephanie Luciano vs Talita Alencar
Main Event: Marcin Tybura vs Serghei Spivac
Marcin Tybura | Man Of The World
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Marcin Tybura | Man Of The World
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Ranked heavyweights Marcin Tybura and Serghei Spivac meet for a second time in this weekend’s finale.
The 39-year-old Tybura is a fighter that knows who and what he is, and, perhaps more importantly, who and what he is not, and he’s played to that over the last several years to put together an 8-2 record in his last 10 starts. Tybura is well-rounded and savvy; an experienced hand that knows how to maximize his talents and take advantage of his opponent’s shortcomings.
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Spivac was on a nice run heading into his showdown with Ciryl Gane in Paris last fall, but when he couldn’t get the Frenchman to the canvas, his winning streak came to a halt, and he’s been out of action since. His game has improved considerably since their first encounter, and it will be interesting to see how the dynamic changes in the rematch.
The heavyweight division is trending towards clarity and while fights like this don’t immediately impact the championship picture, they do have divisional ramifications and will help shape the landscape going forward.
Other Main Card Bouts
Chris Gutierrez vs Quang Le
After a late shift in opponents, tenured bantamweight talent Chris Gutierrez faces off with promotional newcomer Quang Le in an intriguing addition to Saturday's main card.
The 33-year-old Gutierrez has been in the mix at the bottom end of the Top 15 for the last several years, having posted an eight-fight unbeaten streak from his sophomore appearance in the Octagon through his UFC 281 win over Frankie Edgar. He's faltered in two of his last three outings as the competition has gotten stiffer, but returns here aiming to begin his 2024 campaign with a return to the win column and the type of performance that potentially returns him to the rankings, as well.
Le tags in for Javid Basharat with the opportunity to make an instant splash in the 135-pound ranks. Undefeated in eight fights, the 32-year-old has amassed seven of those wins under the LFA banner, including already registering two victories this year.
This should be an entertaining clash from the outset, as both men are action fighters and are looking to prove a point this weekend. Will Gutierrez show that he's on an entirely different level than Le and affirm his standing in the 135-pound ranks or can the short-notice newcomer maintain his unblemished record while proving that he's got what it takes to compete with the absolute best the UFC bantamweight division has to offer?
Danny Barlow vs Nikolay Veretennikov
Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) grad Danny Barlow welcomes Nikolay Veretennikov, an alumnus of the program, to the Octagon for the first time in this short-notice welterweight pairing.
Barlow earned his place on the roster last season with a knockout win over fellow CFFC standout Raheam Forest, flashing his knockout power. He maintained his unblemished record through his promotional debut in February by posting a third-round stoppage win over Josh Quinlan, and aims to keep rolling here.
Veretennikov landed on the wrong side of the results in his DWCS appearance opposite Michael Morales, who has continued his winning ways without interruption since reaching the big stage. He’s gone 3-0 since, posting a trio of finishes inside the United Fight League cage, and aims to make the most of his opportunity this weekend against Barlow.
This is an intriguing matchup, as Barlow is a live wire with proven power, while Veretennikov has a little more experience and more well-rounded skill set. With both being familiar with the UFC APEX, we should be in for a competitive, entertaining clash when they step in together on Saturday.
Damon Jackson vs Chepe Mariscal
Damon Jackson and Chepe Mariscal face off in a clash of featherweight veterans looking to inch closer to breaking into the rankings.
After suffering a pair of losses in 2023, Jackson got things moving in the right direction again with a gutsy, hard-fought win over Alexander Hernandez last time out. The Fortis MMA man has gone 6-3 thus far in his second tour of duty with the promotion and represents a solid step up in competition for Mariscal this weekend.
Mariscal continues to surprise and impress at every turn, having now parlayed his short-notice call-up into a three-fight winning streak. Following wins over Trevor Peek and Jack Jenkins in quick succession in the back half of 2023, “Machine Gun” registered a split decision win over Morgan Charriere earlier this year to further show that he’s someone to keep close tabs on in the 145-pound weight class.
These are two well-traveled, experienced competitors that have never been closer to sporting a number next to their names, and while each can always be counted on to bring it from the jump, expect even a little more fire and drive this weekend as they battle to prove they’re amongst the division’s best.
Yana Santos vs Chelsea Chandler
Yana Santos and Chelsea Chandler share the Octagon on Saturday in a battle of bantamweights.
Santos makes her 2024 debut with designs on halting a three-fight losing streak. The 34-year-old former Invicta FC champion is tough as nails and has been in there with quality competition throughout her career, and she should present a stern test for Chandler this weekend in Las Vegas.
How To Watch UFC Fight Night: Tybura vs Spivac 2
The Nick Diaz Academy product touches down for her second appearance of the year off a unanimous decision win over Josiane Nunes in March. While the win moved Chandler to 2-1 in the UFC and 6-2 overall, it has to be noted that the Stockton native missed weight for the contest, making her appearance on the scale on Friday the first hurdle she needs to clear in order to keep moving forward in the division.
Toshiomi Kazama vs Charalampos Grigoriou
Bantamweights that found their way into the Octagon through talent-search series face off here as Road to UFC finalist Toshiomi Kazama takes on DWCS grad Charalampos Grigoriou.
Kazama ran into Rinya Nakamura in the bantamweight competition at the conclusion of the first RTU season, then fell to Garrett Armfield in his promotional debut earlier last August. LAW MMA’s Grigoriou scored a finish to land his contract last season, but dropped a decision to Canadian veteran Chad Anheliger earlier this year to halt his four-fight winning streak.
Preliminary Card Bouts
Karol Rosa vs Pannie Kianzad
Bantamweight rankings mainstays Karol Rosa and Pannie Kianzad clash on the prelims, looking to build some momentum heading into the dog days of summer.
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Rosa has alternated results since earning four straight victories to begin her UFC tenure, entering off a unanimous decision loss in a crackerjack of a fight with Irene Aldana at UFC 296. Kianzad touched down in Vegas aiming to halt a two-fight skid, having most recently been submitted by Macy Chiasson on the last event headlined by Marcin Tybura in March.
Jhonata Diniz vs Karl Williams
Jhonata Diniz and Karl Williams share the Octagon in this meeting between intriguing heavyweights this weekend.
The 33-year-old Diniz followed up his DWCS win with a second-round knockout of Austen Lane in his promotional debut in April, picking up a Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts. Williams, a member of the DWCS Class of ’22, has posted a 3-0 mark to start his UFC tenure, most recently outworking Justin Tafa in March to push his overall winning streak to seven.
Youssef Zalal vs Jarno Errens
Youssef Zalal and Jarno Errens clash in an intriguing featherweight contest early in the card.
Zalal got a call back to the Octagon in March and made the absolute most of it, posting an impressive second-round submission win over Billy Quarantillo to register his fourth straight win overall and first UFC victory since his August 2020 triumph over Peter Barrett. Errens finally put it all together last time out, halting a two-fight skid with a slick decision win over Steven Nguyen.
Stephanie Luciano vs Talita Alencar
After battling to a draw last season on Dana White’s Contender Series, Stephanie Luciano and Talita Alencar will settle things in the opening bout of the card this weekend.
Saturday marks Luciano’s first appearance since her first meeting with Alencar last September, as she was forced out of her March debut after suffering an illness. A multi-time Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion, Alencar earned a split decision win over Rayanne Dos Santos last December to advance to 5-0-1 in her MMA career.
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!
