UFC Fight Night prediction – Marcin Tybura vs. Sergey Spivac 2: Fight card, start time, odds, live stream

Marcin Tybura and Sergey Spivac weren’t expected to be rematched from their February 2020 fight. Yet, timing and their positions in the official UFC heavyweight rankings reunite them at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.

Tybura (25-8) drastically changed the direction of his career by defeating Spivack via unanimous decision. Tybura started the fight 1-4, but began a five-fight win streak by nearly defeating Spivack on the scorecards. Tybura was not excited about the rematch after headlining a fight night against Tom Aspinall just months before Aspinall became interim heavyweight champion and defeated Tai Tuivasa. Nevertheless, Tybura accepted the fight and was fully focused on improving on his second win over Spivack.

Tybura told CBS Sports, “There’s not much for me to gain in this rematch because I won the first fight and we’re close in the rankings…” “I would love to bring in someone who’s closer to the top of the division, but that’s part of the job.

“When fight camp starts, my focus is on my opponent. I have no regrets that I took this fight. I’m not looking for another name right now. There will be time to choose someone else after this fight.”

Spivack (16-3) also benefited from an improved career trajectory after the first Tybura fight. Spivack was 1-2 in the UFC after the Tybura loss, but has since gone on a strong 6-2 run with four finishes. His only losses since the Tybura fight have been to former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in the main event and to Aspinall in 2021. Saturday’s headliners have improved since their first meeting, even if they remain a few steps behind title level. Spivack is ready to prove that his evolution since February 2020 has been more dramatic than his opponent’s.

“I’ve gotten more confident since the first time,” Spivack told CBS Sports through an interpreter. “I’ve gotten bigger and stronger. But confidence is the most important thing.

“I can’t learn anything from the first fight. I don’t think I made too many mistakes. It’s just a matter of confidence. I don’t think I need to change much about myself. I just need to do my job. That’s when I’m at my best.”

Tybura vs. Spivack is an extremely weak card, especially in the wake of last week’s Fight Night, which featured Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, and next week’s Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. It’s the latest example of the UFC’s loose three-tiered event structure, where events at the UFC Apex are downgrades relative to traveling Fight Nights and pay-per-views. Even regular viewers might struggle to recognize half the fighters on this week’s main card from among the crowd.

Below is the remaining fight card for Saturday, including the latest odds, before we make our predictions and picks for the main event.

UFC Fight Night card, odds

UFC Fight Night viewing information

date: 10th August | Start time: 7 p.m. ET (main card)
Place: UFC Apex – Las Vegas
TV Channels: ESPN+

Prediction

Marcin Tybura vs. Sergey Spivack: Both men found their rhythm after their first fight, which Tybura won easily. Spivack has the edge on paper: three times the takedown rate, twice the takedown accuracy and nearly twice the stoppage rate of Tybura. Yet it was Tybura who outclassed Spivack in 2020 and tripled his strikeout total. Spivack was only three fights into his UFC career and has improved remarkably. Most heavyweights have knockout power and are suspect, but neither of them is a terrible KO threat. I have long considered Tybura one of the UFC’s most underappreciated heavyweights. It’s doubtful he’ll ever challenge for the heavyweight title but he’s a solid top 10 big man. I think their second fight will be closer than the first, but I’d lean toward Tybura getting the decision in a tough fight. Tybura via unanimous decision

UFC Fight Night: Who wins Spivack vs. Tybura, and how does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now for the full scoop on UFC Fight Night, all from an MMA expert who made more than $1,500 in profit on his UFC main-card picks, and learn more.