3 UFC Vegas 88 highlights you might have missed
By Jaren Kawada
3. Marcin Tybura submits Tai Tuivasa in the first round
Many fans desperately wanted to see a Tai Tuivasa bounce-back win, but it was ultimately Marcin Tybura getting his hand raised in the main event to hand the fan-favorite heavyweight his fourth consecutive loss.
As he typically does, Tuivasa started strong, asserting his striking and power advantage and giving fans hope by escaping an initial clinch attempt. Tuivasa would even cut Tybura on the forehead with an elbow but would ultimately relent a takedown midway through the round.
With a significant grappling advantage, Tybura immediately unloaded heavy ground-and-pound strikes and nearly found a TKO finish before Tuivasa surrendered his back. From there, Tybura worked his way to a rear-naked choke and put Tuivasa to sleep.
The loss was Tuivasa's second straight submission loss and fourth consecutive defeat inside the distance. With the win, Tybura rebounded from a first-round TKO loss to Tom Aspinall at UFC London.