Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the UFC Vegas 88 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., March 16, 2024), streaming LIVE on ESPN+. UFC Vegas 88 will be topped by the 265-pound showdown pitting long-time heavyweight hurter, Tai Tuivasa, against power-punching Polish titan, Marcin Tybura, a five-round showdown with a spot in the division Top 10 hanging in the balance. Before that headlining clash of styles gets underway, rough-and-tumble welterweight warrior, Bryan Battle, collides with 170-pound “Ninja”, Ange Loosa, in UFC Vegas 88’s co-main event, scheduled for 15 minutes of slam-bang violence.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 88 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 7 p.m. ET. Bet on all the UFC Vegas 88 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Tuivasa vs. Tybura.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC Vegas 88 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).
UFC VEGAS 88 QUICK RESULTS:
Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura — Tybura def. Tuivasa by technical submission (rear naked choke) at 4:08 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa — No Contest (eye poke) at 1:00 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS!
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu — Saint Preux def. Nzechukwu by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Christian Rodriguez vs. Isaac Dulgarian — Rodriguez def. Dulgarian by split decision (27-28, 28-27 x2)
Pannie Kianzad vs. Macy Chiasson — Chiasson def. Kianzad by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:54 of Round One
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bryan Barberena — Meerschaert def. Barberena by technical submission (rear naked choke) at 4:23 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS!
Natan Levy vs. Mike Davis — Davis def. Levy by submission (arm triangle choke) at 1:43 of Round Two
Josiane Nunes vs. Chelsea Chandler — Chandler def. Nunes by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jafel Filho vs. Ode Osbourne — FIlho def. Osbourne by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:27 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
Josh Culibao vs. Danny Silva — Silva def. Culibao by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Jaqueline Amorim vs. Cory McKenna — Amorim def. McKenna by submission (armbar) at 1:38 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
Thiago Moises vs. Mitch Ramirez — Moises def. Ramirez by TKO (low kicks) at 0:15 of Round Three — HIGHLIGHTS!
Charalampos Grigoriou vs. Chad Anheliger — Anheliger def. Grigoriou by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
UFC VEGAS 88 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339654/2086801794.jpg)
265 lbs.: Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura
Round 1: Low kicks from Tuivasa to start. Tuivasa catches him leaning with a right hand and hammers him with punches and elbows. Tybura’s split open already. Tuivasa lands a low kick, blocks a head kick a minute in. Tybura blitzes in and shoots against the fence, completing the double-leg into half guard. Short punches from Tybura, who takes the back two minutes in. Heavy punches from back mount. Two minutes to go.
Another heavy volley of punches from Tybura allows him to wrap up the RNC. Tuivasa grits it out for as long as he can, but ultimately goes to sleep.
Final result: Tybura def. Tuivasa by technical submission (rear naked choke)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339655/2086801796.jpg)
170 lbs.: Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa
Round 1: Battle comes out hot, throwing heat and absorbing Loosa’s return fire before sprawling on a shot. Hard knee to the body. He counters a takedown to land on top in mount, but Loosa scrambles to his feet a minute in, eating a knee as he does. Jockeying for position. Two minutes in. Loosa separates and fires low kicks. Teep from Battle in return. Two minutes to go.
Both missing with heavy blows. Nice straight right by Battle, jump knee inside to kick off a flurry. One minute to go. Head kick to combo from Battle. Loosa struggling with the range. Counter right by Battle. They trade in the center to end the round. 10-9 Battle.
Round 2: Right hook to head kick from Battle. Loosa trying to jab with him. ESPN+ crashes for the second time in two minutes and we resume mid-break after a nasty eye poke. Loosa says he can’t continue and this one’s over.
Final result: No contest (eye poke)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339657/2079435618.jpg)
205 lbs.: Ovince Saint Preux vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Round 1: OSP advancing as they fence with their lead hands. Straight left. Straight right from Nzechukwu a minute in. Body kick. Inside low kicks by OSP, who eats a straight right. Both landing their rear hands. Two minutes in. This is pure sparring, neither man committing to anything meaningful. There’s a 1-2 from Nzechukwu, who catches a kick but can’t use it. Nice body shot by OSP with two minutes to go.
They trade combinations. OPS doing slightly less nothing than Nzechukwu. One minute to go. OSP fires some kicks. Short left uppercut. Low kicks. Nzechukwu seems terrified to sit down on anything. He whiffs with 1-2s and eats a low kick. 10-9 Saint Preux.
Round 2: Body kick from Nzechukwu, who tries to go high and eats a body kick from OSP. Straight left, 1-2 misses. Low kick by OSP a minute in, then another and a straight left. Nzechukwu’s corner is screaming at him to do more and he just isn’t. Body kick lands for him, OSP answers with a left downstairs. Trading jabs two minutes in. More jabs from both. Glancing front kick to straight left from OSP. Body shot in the center. Nzechukwu catches a kick and lands an uppercut against the fence. OSP forces him back. Two minutes to go.
Right hook lands for Nzechukwu. Landing jabs. Left hand from OSP. They trade straight punches. They trade in the center with a minute to go. Combinations from OSP on teh front foot. Jabs from Nzechukwu. Good exchange. Low kick from OSP. 10-9 Saint Preux.
Round 3: The sparring continues. OSP considers a level change, denied. OSP angles off behind a two-piece and floors Nzechukwu with an uppercut, but can’t put him away. Trading heat a minute in. OSP forcing him back with heavy shots. Nzechukwu just isn’t throwing enough back. They trade two minutes in. Nice knee to the body from Nzechukwu, then a pair of uppercuts inside. Now Nzechukwu waking up a bit, stings OSP with a knee downstairs. Trading heat with two minutes to go.
Both attack the body. OSP shoots, denied. Hard knees and right hands from Nzechukwu. OSP forces him back with punches. Heavy right hook adn straight left by Nzechukwu, then a front kick downstairs. One minute to go. Nzechukwu landing some brutal punches but he’s shelling up whenever OSP throws. Big uppercut by OSP, who eats a knee. Big knee and right hand by Nzechukwu. Both land bombs in the center. OSP marches after him and unloads. 10-9 Saint Preux.
Final result: Saint Preux def. Nzechukwu by split decision
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339660/2079435837.jpg)
145 lbs.: Christian Rodriguez vs. Isaac Dulgarian
Round 1: Dulgarian takes him down inside of 10 seconds and sets up in guard, dropping shots. Quick move to half guard. Rodriguez tries to scramble and Dulgarian gets in deep on a Peruvian necktie a minute in, but loses it and looks for the back. He settles for half guard. He nearly works his way to the back two minutes in, settles for landing hard punches from under Rodriguez’s armpit. Rodriguez trying and failing to get to his feet. Wild scramble, but Dulgarian gets the body lock and takes him down yet again, briefly threatening mount with two minutes to go.
Dulgarian works to Rodriguez’s back and flattens him out, dropping punches before wrapping up the arm triangle. The angle’s not there so he retakes the back with a minute to go. Rodriguez works to his feet, gets pulled back down. Back up and that’s where the round ends. 10-9 Dulgarian.
Round 2: Rodriguez opens with a flying knee and tries to wrap up a guillotine, but Dulgarian pops his head out and they scramble. Dulgarian hauls him to the fence a minute in and takes him down yet again. Back up, back down. Back up, back down. Dulgarian keeps the seatbelt grip , then switches to the body lock two minutes in. Controlling Rodriguez against the fence. They trade knees to the body. Sneaky knee to the head by Rodriguez with two minutes to go.
Dulgarian wrenches him to the ground once again and grabs a cradle. Rodriguez works to his feet and separates. Right hands from Dulgarian. Nice low kick. They trade and Dulgarian shoots into a sprawl with a minute to go. He wades in with more punches and grabs a body lock. Rodriguez turns to face him and they end the round locked up against the fence. 10-9 Dulgarian.
Round 3: Rodriguez fights off the first two takedowns and they trade in the center before Dulgarian shoots again. Dulgarian’s spent and Rodriguez cracks him with a grounded kick to the body before looking for the back. Both hooks in a minute in. He flattens Dulgarian out and drops punches until Dulgarian gives up mount. He retakes the back, swatting with punches. Two minutes in. Dulgarian holding on, keeping Rodriguez from getting a sustained attack going. Rodriguez drops hammerfists, then looks for the neck. Dulgarian desperately grabbing Rodriguez’s glove to survive. Two minutes to go.
Rodriguez continues to drop short punches until they get to their feet. Slowly pushing forward, lands a heavy 1-2. Anotehr good right hand and he sprawls on a shot. One minute to go. Desperation shot from Dulgarian and Rodriguez sprawls on it, briefly considering a front choke. Dulgarian latches onto an ankle, then looks for a last-minute takedown. 10-8 Rodriguez; comes down to whether Dulgarian got a 10-8 in the first.
Final result: Rodriguez def. Dulgarian by split decision
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339665/2086811690.jpg)
135 lbs.: Pannie Kianzad vs. Macy Chiasson
Round 1: Kianzad pushing forward, Chiasson circling. Left hand from Chiasson, then a nice knee before Kianzad takes her to the fence. Chiasson wrenches her down into full guard. One minute in. Kianzad flubs an armbar and Chiasson briefly looks for an inverted triangle before getting to her feet. Two minutes in. Outside trip from Kianzad, Chiasson turns for a leg. Nice defense by Kianzad, but Chiasson scrambles her way to a potential back take. Both hooks in with two minutes to go.
Chiasson looking for the RNC, Kianzad trying to keep her chin tucked. Chiasson puts on the squeeze, and the moment her forearm slips under Kianzad’s jaw, “Banzai” taps.
Final result: Chiasson def. Kianzad by submission (rear naked chOKe)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25339666/2086811693.jpg)
185 lbs.: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bryan Barberena
Round 1: Low kick from Meerschaert as Barberena circles. Tons of movement from Barberena so far. Counter left by Meerschaert. One minute in. Meerschaert tries to tie up, lands on the exit. Meerschaert fires a double-leg and drags him to his seat at the base of the fence, then pulls him away and looks for the back as Barberena scoots back to it. Barberena works his way up and separates. Solid 1-2, then knocks Meerschaert to his back as he crashes in before letting him up. Two minutes to go.
Sneaky left hand by Meerschaert as Barberena exits, then a clean double-leg into half guard. Looking for a kimura with a minute to go, passes to side control. Back to half guard, then mount. Meerschaert lets go and grabs the front headlock as Barberena tries to stand, then lands punches on the exit. Barberena pursues. 10-9 Meerschaert.
Round 2: Meerschaert pushes forward, draws out a punch, then shoots under it. Barberena denies it and shoves him away. Barberena limp-legs out of another shot a minute in. Jabs from Meerschaert. Nice counter left, then a clean double-leg. Barberena tries to scoot, settles for butterfly guard. Two minutes in. Meerschaert passes to half guard, using heavy shoulder pressure. Barberena makes it to the fence, Meerschaert looking for the back with two minutes to go.
Meerschaert worms the second hook in as Barberena tries to stand. Playing backpack against the fence and chasing the choke. He wiggles it in tighter and tighter before fully clamping down and choking Barberena unconscious.
Final result: Meerschaert def. Barberena by technical submission (rear naked choke) — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS!
155 lbs.: Natan Levy vs. Mike Davis
Round 1: Davis floors Levy with the first right hand he throws and immediately takes his back, locking up the body triangle. One minute in. Continuing to control and look for the choke as Levy fights the hands two minutes in. More of the same. Two minutes to go.
Davis trying to worm his forearm under the chin. Levy initiates a scramble and gets to his feet, looking to take the back in return with a minute to go. Knees to the body. Davis stuck on one knee, then attacks a leglock. They end the round in 50/50.
Round 2: Levy comes out aggressively, but a scramble allows Davis to once again take his back and cinch up the body triangle. One minute in. Levy turns to give up mount and Davis looks for an arm triangle. He puts on the squeeze and there’s the tap.
Final result: Davis def. Levy by submission (arm triangle choke)
135 lbs.: Josiane Nunes vs. Chelsea Chandler
Round 1: Nunes comes out pressuring and throwing heat. They trade and Chandler puts her on the fence. Nunes reverses a minute in. Chandler pushes her away and exits with an elbow. Flurries from Nunes as she marches after Chandler. Two minutes in. Chandler not throwing a lot back. She puts Nunes on the fence again, then takes her down into half guard. Two minutes to go.
Nunes using a knee shield to keep her at bay. Chandler drops punches and settles on top in full guard. Nunes keeping control of her wrists, spins for an armbar a minute in. Chandler slams her on her head to escape and goes back to dropping heavy punches. Kick to the body on the way up. Heavy combos from Chandler, Nunes wading through them to fire shots of her own. 10-9 Chandler.
Round 2: Nunes continuing to pressure. Heavy exchange near the fence and chandler ties up, trying to wrench her down. She goes from the front headlock to mount a minute in. She moves to the back shortly thereafter. Nunes fighting the hands. Good balance from Chandler to stay on top as Nuns tries to scramble. Hard elbows from Chandler in half guard. Two minutes to go.
Full guard for Chandler, dropping elbows. One minute to go. Nunes controlling her hands and posture but doing nothing to stand. 10-9 Chandler.
Round 3: Nunes wades in with some left hands near the fence. Jabs from Chandler. One minute in. Nasty overhand left, then some more near the fence. More good shots prompt Chandler to take her to the fence. Nunes peels off her grip and separates. Two minutes in. Nunes stalking, ties up, gets taken to the fence. She separates and goes back to flurrying. Two minutes to go.
Another clean left hand from Nunes. Chandler lands an awkward hook kick after eating some more haymakers. One minute to go. More left hands by Nunes. Superman punch met by a right hook from Chandler. Nunes stalks and flurries for a bit, then does one final charge. 10-9 Nunes.
Final result: Chandler def. Nunes by unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Jafel Filho vs. Ode Osbourne
Round 1: Both men try front kicks to start. Body kick by Filho. Calf kick connects. Filho shoots under a punch, gets the body lock, and spins him to the mat a minute in. Right hands from Filho as he tries to take the back. Osborne stuck on a knee and eating punches two minutes in. Osbourne tries to explode up, can’t escape. Two minutes to go.
Filho wraps up the body triangle in one slick move, then flattens Osbourne out before taking mount. Punches and elbows. Filho postured up and dropping bombs with a minute to go. Osbourne gives up his neck under fire and there’s the tap.
Final result: Filho def. Osbourne by submission (rear naked choke) — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS!
145 lbs.: Josh Culibao vs. Danny Silva
Round 1: Silva lands some heavy blows against the fence, then latches onto a guillotine when Culibao shoots. Silva trying to crank from mount, loses it, settles in butterfly guard. One minute in. Culibao gets to his feet and eats a monster right cross. Heavy exchange against the fence. Right cross by Culibao, stiff jab soon after. Culibao seizing the initiative. Heavy uppercut two minutes in. Blitz from Culibao. Nice low kick. Silva trying to pressure, absorbs a two-piece. Culibao circling and potshotting well. Two minutes to go.
Three-piece by Silva. Heavy combo by Culibao backs him off. Right hand to the body. Silva tries to lunge in, can’t connect. Heavy 1-2 by Culibao. Silva completely unable to get his offense going after a red-hot start. One minute to go. 1-2-3 by Culibao. Silva shoots against the fence. He drags Culibao to a knee in the final seconds. 10-9 Culibao.
Round 2: Low kicks from Culibao as Silva tries to push forward. Jabs, low kick, right hand to the body. Nasty three-piece combo. Silva to the body a minute in, then a combo in center cage. Silva trying to up the volume, takes a kick to the nuts, shakes it off. Body shot by Culibao, continuing to run circles around Silva. Brutal counters. Hard straight left by Silva, Culibao answers in kind. Two minutes in. Culibao shoots, denied. He shoots again and Silva grabs a body lock, dragging him to a knee. Back up. Two minutes to go.
Silva tries a high-crotch, can’t get it, eats a pair of heavy punches. Culibao sticking and moving beautifully, but absorbs a clubbing right hook. More power shots from Culibao in return but Silva again finds the body lock and takes him down. Culibao gets to his feet, Silva still attached. 10-9 Culibao.
Round 3: Silva grabs another body lock against the fence. Culibao separates shortly. Solid low kick by Silva. Clubbing right hand. Silva trying to up the volume again a minute in. They trade against the fence. Big 1-2 by Silva and a successful double-leg. Culibao works his way up with two minutes to go. Silva separates, throws strikes, then shoots back in, nearly taking Culibao’s back. Nice elbow on the break. Hard calf kick. Culibao trying to keep him at bay with the jab. Silva chasing him, absorbs some counters. Two minutes to go.
Body kick from Culibao. He slips, Silva can’t capitalize. Culibao sticking and moving. Silva shoots again and grabs the body lock again. Hard left hand on the exit, knee to the body. Silva on the attack with a minute to go. He sprawls on a shot and looks for the back, then moves to the front headlock. Culibao stands and lands some solid shots in the final seconds. 10-9 Silva.
Final result: Silva def. Culibao by split decision
115 lbs.: Jaqueline Amorim vs. Cory McKenna
Round 1: McKenna shoots in and Amorim jumps guard, quickly wrapping up a triangle. As Amorim attacks the arm, the referee calls a stop due to a nonexistent tap, then allows the fight to continue for some reason. Amorim commits fully to the armbar, and after some wrangling, she wrenches it to a grotesque angle to force an actual tap.
Final result: Amorim def. McKenna by submission (armbar) — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS!
155 lbs.: Thiago Moises vs. Mitch Ramirez
Round 1: They trade low kicks for a bit until Moises hits a double-leg. One minute in. Moises settles in half guard. He spends the next two minutes chipping away, unable to pass but staying heavy. Two minutes to go.
Ramirez tries to scramble up and Moises immediately latches onto his back, hunting the RNC. He continues to do so until the bell. 10-9 Moises.
Round 2: Ramirez punches into the clinch, where they jockey for position. One minute in. They separate and Moises lands a low kick before trying a front kick. Overhand right whiffs two minutes in. Perfectly-timed double leg and he grabs the body lock. Back to trading position against the fence. Elbow by Moises on the exit and they exchange with two minutes to go.
They clinch for the next 45 seconds before separating. Low kick by Ramirez with a minute to go. Moises lands one, tries a front kick behind it. Vicious check hook from Moises rattles Ramirez and he stalks forward, landing a low kick and missing a wheel kick. Nice jabs, low kick. 10-9 Moises.
Round 3: Moises blasts him with a calf kick to start the round and down goes Ramirez. Moises stands over him and hammers his legs until the ref intervenes.
Final result: Moises def. Ramirez by TKO (low kicks) — WATCH HIGHLIGHTS!
135 lbs.: Charalampos Grigoriou vs. Chad Anheliger
Round 1: Solid low kick from Grigoriou to start, Anheliger answers in kind. Nice exchange near the fence, low kicks by Anheliger. Grigoriou forces him back with a combo, eats a low kick, lands his own. He’s got the heavier kicks so far. Counter right by Anheliger, then another as Grigoriou hurls a huge right a minute in. Low kick appears to sting Grigoriou’s calf. Grigoriou continues to pressure, walks into a counter and Anheliger grabs a body lock. Two minutes in. Holding the body lock against the fence. Deadlocked with two minutes to go.
Grigoriou breaks free and looks for a takedown, completing it at the base of the fence. Anheliger looking to cinch up a guillotine while seated. One minute to go. Grigoriou sets up in butterfly guard. He lays-and-prays until the bell. 10-9 Anheliger.
Round 2: Solid calf kick from Anheliger to start, then a check hook as Grigoriou shoots in. Anheliger alternating between looking for a switch and kimura. Elbows piling up as he defends. Grigoriou gets him to a knee, eats another elbow. Grigoriou shamelessly lay-and-praying at the base of the fence as Anheliger tries to do damage. Two minutes in. Grigoriou has been leaning him him for more than half a round without landing a single strike. Two minutes to go.
Anheliger’s defending but can’t break the grip, while Grigoriou refuses to do anything. The ref finally breaks them up and they get to trading. Hard calf kick by Anheliger. Grigoriou looks gassed, gets dropped by a low kick and eats a right hand. One minute tog o. Anheliger cracks him with a counter right, then a stiff jab and uppercut. Grigoriou shoots and gets back to leaning on him without striking, eating elbows. 10-9 Anheliger.
Round 3: Anheliger teeing off on a gassed Grigoriou. Combinations and low kicks. Big flurry against the fence, shrugs off a counter. Clash of heads as they trade to prompt a pause a minute in. Anheliger goes back to eating him up with punches and low kicks. Nasty body shots. Grigoriou reduced to whiffing on slow-motion counters as a fresh Anheliger goes to work. Hard straight right two minutes in. Anheliger takes his foot off the gas for a bit, then cracks him with a left hook. Vicious counter right drops Grigoriou and Anheliger follows with body shots. Jabs, low kick. Two minutes to go.
1-1-2 from Anheliger. Knee upstairs, 1-2 blocked, jab lands clean. Low kick yet again. Grigoriou whiffs on a flying knee. One minute to go. Nice body shot by Anheliger, double jab. Heavy combination. Grigoriou trying to posture. Anheliger lands a liver shot and low kick. 1-1-2. Nasty counter right yet again and a head kick behind it. 10-8 Anheliger.
Final result: Anheliger def. Grigoriou by unanimous decision
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 88: “Tuivasa vs. Tybura” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.