UFC Fight Night: Tai Tuivasa vs Marcin Tybura

UFC Fight Night 239 returns on Sunday (Australia) to the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. This card features a heavyweight fight between Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura as the Main Event. The co-main is a Welterweight bout featuring Bryan Battle & Ange Loosa. Aussie Josh Culibao is also fighting in the prelims, but all eyes will be on the heavyweight main event.

Main Event: Tai Tuivasa vs Marcin Tybura 

Our Aussie Tai finds himself in another main event this Saturday and we're as excited as ever! Tai has been on a little bit of a tricky run since September 2022, losing 3 straight fights by finish. He's coming into this fight with a record of 15-6 and has faced some very tough opposition lately. He averages nearly 4 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of almost 50%. His grappling ability isn't very strong, but he hasn't really needed it. He's a huge puncher and can turn the lights off at any moment of the fight. We saw it against Gane, Lewis, Sakai, and Hardy. With a 93% knockdown rate and 12 first-round finishes, it only takes one shot at heavyweight. For Marcin, he was finished in round 1 in his most recent outing against Aspinall and his two prior wins were via decision. He also has some powerful hands and has the longer round experience, but I think his best chances are to take Tai down, which is harder than it looks. Tai is the better striker and I can see him catching Tybur within 2 rounds. 

Prediction: Tuivasa to win via KO/TKO

Co-main: Bryan Battle vs Ange Loosa

In the co-main event, we're poised for a thrilling welterweight clash between two formidable adversaries. One of the combatants has been riding a wave of success, showcasing impressive skills both within the UFC and across the broader landscape of MMA. With an impressive record boasting 9 finishes out of 11 victories as a professional athlete, he's proven himself to be a formidable force in the octagon. Notably, his lightning-fast 14-second knockout of Gabe Green in May 2023 and his submission victory over AJ Fletcher in September 2023 underscore his adaptability and versatility in various fighting scenarios.

On the flip side, Loosa's journey within the UFC hasn't garnered as much attention, marred by two decision losses and two decision wins. However, his performances in leagues like LFC and TFC have showcased his undeniable potential and prowess. This sets the stage for what promises to be an enthralling matchup. Loosa's strength, coupled with Battle's cunning and strategy, sets the tone for a compelling battle. With the skills and determination possessed by both fighters, I foresee this contest going the distance, offering fans an intense and exhilarating showdown

Prediction: Battle to win

Ovince Saint Preux vs Kennedy Nzechukwu

The light heavyweight division is fascinating to me. I think it's underrated, with some serious depth. With Alex now as the champ and so many contenders, it's starting to move around a bit. Ovince Saint Preux comes into this bout with a record of 26-17. His early record in the UFC was very strong, but has been a little inconsistent as recently. He was recently finished by Lins, and also stopped by Hill & Boser, at 40 years old, this could be the last time we see him in the cage. It's hard to come back from some pretty brutal KOs, as history tells us, the chin and age catch up to you. We love Ovince, he's given us some awesome fights and it feels like he's been in the promotion for a lifetime, but he's got a real test against Kennedy Nzechukwu. Kennedy is also coming off a KO loss, but he also some some pretty spectacular finishes under his belt. He comes into this fight 12-4 and averages 4.86 significant strikes per minute and is a pretty decent grappler. Kennedy is a pretty big favorite in this fight and you can see why. He's the fresher fighter and looking to work his way up the division. I don't think this one will go the distance. Regardless of the result, OSP will always be a legend in the sport.

Prediction: Fight not to go the distance 

Isaac Dulgarian vs Christian Rodriguez 

The featherweight division has seen a new champion over the last month, something we haven't seen in quite some time (poor Volk). Isaac comes into this fight with a perfect MMA record of 6-0. He made his UFC debut last year and secured a pretty sweet finish via elbows in the first round against Francis Marshall. He's also a pretty elite grappler, with an average of 3 takedowns every 15 minutes, going at 100% accuracy, which is pretty crazy. Christian is also on a decent UFC run and is the more experienced fighter in the promotion. With 4 wins and 1 loss in the UFC, he's been on a pretty nice streak. His only loss was in 2022 via decision. Isaac looks to be a pretty strong favorite, I think he's got the striking and grappling advantage, so we'd probably be more confident in taking him to get the win. 

Prediction: Isaac Dulgarian via decision 

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