UFC Vegas 88 Results And Recap: Tybura Chokes Out Tuivasa in Heavyweight Headliner

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Las Vegas, March 17: Marcin Tybura choked out Tai Tuivasa in the top 10 contenders heavyweight main event in UFC Vegas 88: Tuivasa vs. Tybura at the UFC Apex Facility in Las Vegas on Saturday (March 16).

The 13-fight card saw 7 fights, including the main event, end in stoppage, while five fights went the distance and one fight ended in no contest. Among the 7 stoppage wins, 6 were submission finishes, while one was a technical knockouts (TKO).

While there was no fight of the night award in UFC Vegas 88, also known as UFC Fight Night 239, four fighters bagged performance of the night bonuses for their respective stoppage wins.

Main eventer Tybura as well as Jaqueline Amorim, Jafel Filho and Macy Chiasson took home an extra USD50K for their submission wins on the card. Here is the recap for the UFC on ESPN+ 97 event:

UFC Vegas 88 Recap

The hard-hitting main event between top ten heavyweights No. 9 ranked Tuivasa and No. 10 ranked Tybura started with a flurry of fists in the opening exchanges of the headliner.

Halfway through the first round, Tybura smartly went for the takedown and laid on the ground and pound. He went for the rear naked choke and Tuivasa went out. Tybura earned the submission victory in 4 minutes, 8 seconds.

Following the stoppage, Tybura said: "I showed everything we did for this. It was striking, looking for the takedown if that didn't go well. I punched him so hard but he didn't give up, He's a very tough man.

"I was choking for so long and he didn't give up, I was thinking, what is he made of? I had a little bit more power to apply, and I did. I just wanted to prove to everyone that I belong in the top ten."

The anticipated style-versus-style welterweight co-main event between submission ace Bryan Battle and KO artist Ange Loosa came to an unsatisfactory conclusion when a collision of heads led to an accidental eye poke.

Battle showed a much improved game plan and was dominating until a minute into the second round when his finger grazed Loosa's eye, who couldn't continue, and thus the bout was declared a No Contest.

Also on the main card, Ovince Saint Preux and Christian Rodriguez edged Kennedy Nzechukwu and Isaac Dulgarian respectively for split decision wins, while Chiasson and Gerald Meerschaert claimed submission wins over Pannie Kianzad and Bryan Barberena respectively.

Earlier on the preliminary card, Chelsea Chandler, Chad Anheliger and Danny Silva earned decision wins, while Mike Davis, Jafel Filho, Jaqueline Amorim and Thiago Moises claimed stoppage wins. Her is a look at the final results of UFC Vegas 88:

UFC Vegas 88 Results

• Heavyweight Bout: Marcin Tybura defeated Tai Tuivasa by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:08 of Round 1
• Welterweight Bout: Bryan Battle and Ange Loosa is ruled a no contest (accidental eye poke) at 1:00 of Round 2
• Light Heavyweight Bout: Ovince Saint Preux defeated Kennedy Nzechukwu by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Featherweight Bout: Christian Rodriguez defeated Isaac Dulgarian by split decision (28-27, 27-28, 28-27)
• Women's Bantamweight Bout: Macy Chiasson defeated Pannie Kianzad by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:54 of Round 1
• Middleweight Bout: Gerald Meerschaert defeated Bryan Barberena by technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:23 of Round 2
• Lightweight Bout: Mike Davis defeated Natan Levy by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:43 of Round 2
• Women's Bantamweight Bout: Chelsea Chandler defeated Josiane Nunes by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Flyweight Bout: Jafel Filho defeated Ode' Osbourne by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:27 of Round 1
• Featherweight Bout: Danny Silva defeated Josh Culibao by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Women's Strawweight Bout: Jaqueline Amorim defeated Cory McKenna by submission (armbar) at 1:38 of Round 1
• Lightweight Bout: Thiago Moises defeated Mitch Ramirez by TKO (leg kick) at 0:15 of Round 3
• Bantamweight Bout: Chad Anheliger defeated Charalampos Grigoriou by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)