UFC Fight Night 258: Marcin Tybura vs Ante Delija Preview & Prediction
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A rematch more than a decade in the making, heavyweight staple Marcin Tybura welcomes PFL standout, Ante Delija, to the UFC.
What time are Marcin Tybura and Ante Delija expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho? Accor Arena, Paris, France
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 258
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho main card
Nassourdine Imavov vs Caio Borralho (Middleweight)
Benoit Saint Denis vs Mauricio Ruffy (Lightweight)
Modestas Bukauskas vs Paul Craig (Light Heavyweight)
Bolaji Oki vs Mason Jones (Lightweight)
Rhys McKee vs Axel Sola (Welterweight)
UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs Borralho prelims
William Gomis vs Robert Ruchala (Featherweight)
Oumar Sy vs Brendson Ribeiro (Light Heavyweight)
Marcin Tybura vs Ante Delija (Heavyweight)
Harry Hardwick vs Kaue Fernandez (Lightweight)
Sam Patterson vs Trey Waters (Welterweight)
Brad Tavares vs Robert Bryczek (Middleweight)
Andreas Gustafsson vs Rinat Fakhretdinov (Welterweight)
Shauna Bannon vs Sam Hughes (Women’s Strawweight)
Marcin Tybura: One of light heavyweight's most underrated names looks to defend his turf against the upstart signing
A UFC fighter since 2016, Marcin Tybura (27-9) fought his last fight outside of the promotion against the man he finds himself sharing the cage with once again this Saturday. The Pole's first meeting with Ante Delija saw him defend the M-1 heavyweight strap when "Walking Trouble" suffered a leg fracture following a checked kick. Since then, Tybura has gone on to become a staple of the heavyweight division, scoring wins over the likes of Tai Tuivasa, Alexander Romanov, and Mick Parkin along the way. An extremely well-rounded fighter, Tybura's stocky physique belies the sneaky speed at which he throws his strikes, while he's also smashed a number of opponents to pieces once he manages to get them to the floor.
Ante Delija: "Walking Trouble" makes his UFC debut with revenge at the forefront of his mind
A long-term training partner of current heavyweight kingpin, Tom Aspinall, Croatian bruiser Ante Delija (25-6) is one of the more battle-tested additions to the flagging UFC heavyweight division in recent years. The 2022 PFL Heavyweight tournament winner is a heavy-handed striker with underrated wrestling ability, boasting eighteen finishes in twenty five professional victories. While a TKO defeat to Valentin Moldavsky in his final PFL bow snapped a five fight win streak, "Walking Trouble" has since rebounded with an easy stoppage victory over UFC veteran Yorgan de Castro to earn his shot at the MMA big leagues and a shot at revenge against a man who holds a victory over him.
Marcin Tybura vs Ante Delija prediction
Tybura has long been the gatekeeper of the heavyweight division; the Pole typically only loses to the upper echelon at 265 pounds and has made a career out of fraud checking anybody operating below that level.
As such, while Delija is undoubtedly a talented heavyweight, it's hard to discount the fact that there aren't many quality wins on his resume. Despite his impressive record, "Walking Trouble's" best win is arguably a TKO victory over Renan Ferreira, and he's lost to fighters that would likely struggle to cut it in the UFC.
By contrast, Tybura has fought a legitimate murderer's row of competition throughout his UFC tenure, beating a number of solid names along the way. Furthermore, his last two appearances saw him take the "0's" of two hyped heavyweight prospects consecutively.
The Pole is 40 and has been chinned by power punchers before; it's not inconceivable that the younger and more dynamic Delija nukes him with something apocalyptic before the fight has a chance to get going in earnest. However, Tybura has historically been such a difficult litmus test at heavyweight that it's hard to pick a fighter who has yet to prove that he's top-tier UFC material to beat him.
"Tybur" survives an early onslaught to go 2-0 in the rivalry.
Prediction: Marcin Tybura to win
