3 possible next opponents for Marcin Tybura after UFC Vegas 95 loss

The rematch between No. 8 ranked Marcin Tybura and No. 9 ranked Serghei Spivac occurred on August 10. Both had improved since they had last fought in 2020 and this main event would show who improved more in skill, making them good enough to win the rematch. The rematch was briefly competitive on the feet until Spivak took down Tybura, who reversed the grappling position to get a dominant position. It was briefly slow in the grappling department until Spivak attempted an armbar out of nowhere, winning by submission 1 minute and 44 seconds into the first round. Spivak made a huge statement as he avenged a major career loss while becoming the first fighter to defeat Tybura by submission. Tybura is a veteran who has been in the fight game for over a decade and has interesting options for his next fight.

1. Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik winner

No.10 ranked Tai Tuivasa and No.12 ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik are set to fight on August 18 at UFC 305. This might be a fight Tybura could tune into to see who he could face next. The only issue with this fight is that Tybura already fought Tuivasa, as he submitted him in the first round of their fight in March 2024. The only scenario he can face the winner of this fight is if Rozenstruik wins. The good news is that Rozenstruik is most likely to win this fight because he is a more skilled striker than Tuivasa and Tuivasa is not high level anymore due to the insane damage he has taken in his career. Despite being the underdog, Tuivasa still has a chance because all it takes is one punch from him to change and end a whole fight.

Tuivasa has a wild story, starting as a rugby player, then transitioning into a gambling addict, and then finally, pursuing MMA. He began MMA in 2012 and has always been inconsistent as he has been on a winning streak at one moment and then on a losing streak at another moment. Regardless, Tuivasa also possesses great power in his hands and a hilarious personality everywhere he is. Rozenstruik, on the other hand, had his first sports in basketball and football, before he began a successful kickboxing career in 2009. He began MMA in 2012, like Tuivasa, and is also a power puncher, though he's a more calculated striker than a brawler. If Rozenstruik can get past Tuivasa, he and Tybura could make an interesting fight, as he will look to continue climbing the rankings while Tybura will look to get back to winning.

2. Marcos Rogério de Lima vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu winner

This is an interesting choice, depending on how long Tybura will want to take off after his recent loss. No. 14 ranked Marcos Rogério de Lima will be taking on Kennedy Nzechukwu, who is coming up from light heavyweight to heavyweight, on October 26 at UFC 308. Both of these fighters are well-rounded enough to put on good fights, but they have not proven it well enough against top competition. Whoever wins this fight would make a good fight with Tybura, as they will look to climb up the heavyweight rankings. Tybura is 38 years old, and it is up to him if he is willing to wait a long period for the winner of this fight, as he gets older every month.

De Lima has been competing in MMA since 2009 while having competed in three different weight classes, including middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. He has always been a fighter who prefers finishes more than decisions, as his 22 career wins consist of 15 knockouts and three submissions. De Lima trains at American Top Team, the home to some of the UFC's most elite fighters such as Dustin Poirier, Alexandre Pantoja, Kayla Harrison, and Bo Nickal. Nzechukwu has been a light heavyweight for most of his career. Light heavyweight does not seem to be his weight class due to Nzechukwu losing to some of the most low-level fighters such as Paul Craig, Dustin Jacoby, and Ovince Saint Preux. On the other hand, he has had two heavyweight fights, that occurred in his early years starting MMA in 2016 and 2018, where he won by knockout in both fights.

If Tybura is going to take a break, he should consider paying attention to the de Lima vs Nzechukwu fight. De Lima is an older veteran, like Tybura, and those fights can be fascinating to watch, given people can see two fighters compete, who are at similar points in their careers. If heavyweight is indeed Nzechukwu's better weight class and if his mind is right, he can turn his career around to a successful path. A win over de Lima can open doors to major fights in the upper heavyweight rankings, such as Tybura. Tybura facing the winner of this fight can be good to keep the heavyweight division moving, ranking-wise.

3. Johnny Walker

This might be the best choice of opponent for Tybura in terms of ranking and timing. After suffering back-to-back knockout losses, No. 9 ranked light heavyweight Johnny Walker announced that he would be making a move to heavyweight, in an attempt to get back to winning and turn his career around. Walker would probably return in a December/January time frame, which could be a good return date for Tybura, who took no serious damage in his recent loss. This could be a compelling fight due to Walker, attempting to start a new chapter in his career, while Tybura will try to win and show Walker that heavyweights are on a different level of skill. Since Tybura has fought many major names at heavyweight, he may be interested in adding another notable name to his resume, but from a different division.

Walker has been competing in MMA since 2013, while he has been training at SBG Ireland since 2020. His lead coach is John Kavanaugh, best known for training Conor McGregor, the UFC's biggest superstar. Walker is known for his chaotic, explosive fight style, while he possesses great punching power and skilled jiu-jitsu. His durability has always been his weakest point and has played a part in his failure to defeat a top-five opponent and get a title shot. Walker is athletic and heavyweight could be the weight class he could put his athleticism to good use due to some top heavyweights, possibly having trouble defending against his unorthodox attacks. Tybura vs. Walker can be a good test for both fighters.