Rivalries: Marcin Tybura

Marcin Tybura’s flirtation with the heavyweight elite has been intriguing at times, maddening at others for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The 36-year-old Polish grappler will attempt to improve upon his 9-6 record inside the Octagon when he collides with Jairzinho Rozenstruik as part of the UFC 273 prelims on April 9 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Tybura holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has delivered 15 of his 22 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He has rattled off five wins across his past six appearances.

As Tybura prepares for his showdown with the heavy-handed Rozenstruik, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career:

Damian Grabowski

Tybura captured the M-1 Global heavyweight championship when he submitted “The Polish Pitbull” with a north-south choke in the M-1 Challenge 50 headliner on Aug. 14, 2015 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Grabowski conceded defeat 88 seconds into Round 1. Tybura did not waste time with his countryman. He executed a quick takedown, established his superiority on the mat, worked his way to the north-south position and cinched the fight-ending choke. Tybura made two successful title defenses—he submitted Denis Smoldarev at M-1 Challenge 53 and was awarded a technical knockout over Ante Delija at M-1 Challenge 61—before he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2016.

Timothy Johnson

An effective clinch game, power punching volleys and a stout chin carried the Minnesotan to a unanimous decision over Tybura in a three-round UFC Fight Night 86 heavyweight showcase on April 10, 2016 at Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia. Johnson drew 29-28 marks from all three judges, as he spoiled the promotional debut of the former M-1 Global champion. After a competitive first round, Johnson found another gear in the second. There, he tore into Tybura with rights and lefts, cut the Polish import near his right eye and shrugged off a takedown. Johnson at one point snapped back his head with three consecutive rights. To his credit, Tybura did not go away. He struck for a takedown in the third round and rattled Johnson with a head kick, leaving significant damage to the American’s right eye in his wake. However, the finish he needed did not materialize.

Fabricio Werdum

The two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist kept his place in line near the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division when he took a three-round unanimous decision from Tybura in the UFC Fight Night 121 main event on Nov. 18, 2017 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. All three cageside judges sided with Werdum: 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46. Tybura simply could not match the Brazilian’s output. Werdum kicked effectively to the legs, body and head while operating behind a penetrating jab. He consolidated his efforts with multi-punch flurries upstairs and occasional knee strikes to the head and body. Nothing Tybura tried seemed to give Werdum pause, as the Polish upstart was foiled in his first top-of-the-card assignment.

Stefan Struve

While Tybura did not wow the crowd with his performance, he was undeniably effective in earning a unanimous verdict over the 6-foot-11 Dutchman in their three-round UFC Fight Night 134 heavyweight feature on July 22, 2018 at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany. Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. The former M-1 Global champion withstood a harrowing exchange in the middle stanza—it was touched off by a front kick to the face from the aptly named “Skyscraper”—and kept Struve off-balance with clinches and takedowns. Tybura later split open the Dutchman below the lip with an elbow strike and stayed busy enough from top position to satisfy referee Marc Goddard.

Alexander Volkov

Effective counterstriking and airtight takedown defense spurred the former Bellator MMA champion to a unanimous decision over Tybura in their UFC 267 heavyweight attraction on Oct. 30, 2021 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Volkov swept the scorecards with 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 marks from the cageside judges. Tybura failed in repeated attempts to dump the 6-foot-7 Russian to the floor. As a result, he found himself trapped on the feet with a superior marksman. Volkov answered the Polish powerhouse’s forward pressure with clean multi-strike combinations to the head and body. He did his best work when it mattered most in Round 3, where he pieced together punches and incorporated knees to the body and standing elbows upstairs, all while keeping himself upright.