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Marcin Tybura vs. Blagoy Ivanov: UFC Vegas 68 Odds, Prediction

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The main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 68 card is a heavyweight battle, but an argument can be made that an earlier fight on the main card from that division featuring Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov is the better matchup. Tybura is -140 on the MMA odds with Ivanov +110.

UFC Fight Night - Blagoy Ivanov v Marcin Tybura

  • Marcin Tybura -150
  • Blagoy Ivanov +120

Marcin Tybura UFC Vegas 68 Odds

The UFC heavyweight title is vacant until next month, and Tybura is ranked 11th in the division. The 37-year-old from Poland is 23-7 in a career dating to 2011. He is a former M-1 Global heavyweight champion and M-1 Grand Prix heavyweight champ. Tybura joined the UFC in 2016 and lost his debut to Tim Johnson.

“Tybur” has a win over Serghei Spivac, who fights Derrick Lewis in the main event of this card. Tybura lost to Lewis in February 2018. The Pole comes off a majority decision win over Alexander Romanov last August. That was not without controversy as 17 of 18 media outlets scored it a draw.

The 6-foot-3 Tybura has a reach of 78 inches and his fights average 12:31. He lands 3.61 significant strikes per minute with 49 per cent accuracy and absorbs 3.38 with 54 per cent accuracy. His takedown average is 1.42 per 15 minutes with 32 per cent accuracy, and his takedown defence is 79 per cent (best among active heavyweights). Tybura has nine wins by KO/TKO, eight by decision and six by submission. Four losses are by KO/TKO and three via judges. His six decision victories in UFC heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (12).

For Saturday, Tybura’s favoured method of victory is -115 by decision, +400 by KO/TKO/DQ and +1000 by submission. A draw is +5000.

Blagoy Ivanov UFC Vegas 68 Odds

The 36-year-old Ivanov, from Bulgaria, is ranked 15th in the division and is 19-4 with one no contest in a career dating to 2007. He was expected to face Tybura 2021 at UFC 260. However, Ivanov was pulled from the bout, citing injury. Ivanov was the 2008 Combat Sambo world champion and the former World Series of Fighting heavyweight champion. Ivanov has a black belt in judo and at one time considered trying to make the Bulgarian national team for the 2008 Olympics.

“Baga” made his UFC debut in 2018 and lost to former champion Junior dos Santos by unanimous decision. Ivanov is 3-2 since, coming off a unanimous decision victory over Marcos Rogerio de Lima last August.

The 5-foot-11 Ivanov, a southpaw, has a reach of 73 inches and his fights average 16:40. That’s the longest in divisional history – although obviously this can’t reach that total as it’s set at three rounds. He lands 3.44 significant strikes per minute with 41 per cent accuracy and absorbs 4.21 with 54 per cent

defence. Ivanov’s takedown average is 0.90 per 15 minutes with 40 per cent accuracy, and his takedown defence is 77 per cent.

Ivanov has seven wins by decision, six by KO/TKO and six by submission. Three of his four losses are via the judges. For Saturday, his favoured method of victory is by decision at +175 followed by KO/TKO/DQ at +500 and by submission at +1100.

The over-under for rounds is 2.5 with the over a -230 favourite. That it goes the distance is -241.

UFC Vegas 68 Prediction: Tybura vs. Ivanov

Tybura by decision at -115 and the fight goes the distance at -241.