Most fighters have to wait years into their UFC career to land an opportunity that could catapult them to the forefront of their division. Luckily for Marcin Tybura, who made his Octagon debut just 18 months ago, that opportunity comes later tonight (Sat., Nov. 18, 2017) at UFC Fight Night 121 live on FOX Sports 1 from inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, when he takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum.
Tybura, 32, actually lost his first UFC fight last year when he surrendered a unanimous decision to veteran Timothy Johnson. Since then, Tybura has racked off three-straight victories, including an impressive decision win over former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski. As a result of his recent efforts, the promotion has awarded Tybura the opportunity to fight Werdum tonight in Sydney.
The fact of the matter is that Tybura has never come close to fighting a heavyweight quite like Werdum. Arlovski possesses similar experience compared to the Brazilian, but Werdum’s unique ground skills and top-flight resume separate him from almost anyone in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Werdum’s abilities and notoriety are often a curse for young contenders like Tybura, but it can also be a career builder if the former UFC champion happens to be overthrown.
That said, Tybura will have his work cut out for him later this evening in Sydney, especially considering this is going to be his first UFC main event bid. In addition, Tybura is going to be catching Werdum at the worst possible time, as the former UFC champion aggressively works his way back up the heavyweight ladder for another title shot in 2018.
If Tybura is able to get past Werdum and pull off the huge upset then the Polish finisher will immediately jump into title contention entering next year. Casual fight fans may not know who Tybura is or what he’s capable of doing, but the 32-year-old will have the chance to show them when he takes on a legend down under.