Fighters on the Rise | UFC Fight Night: Tybura vs Spivac 2
Highlighting Three Surging Athletes With The Opportunity To Stand Out On Saturday
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X: @SpencerKyte
Events like Saturday’s return to the ESPN airwaves offer an opportunity to a handful of ascending fighters that may not otherwise be available to them if they were slated to compete on a loaded pay-per-view card or a show like last weekend’s in Abu Dhabi with a main card brimming with established names and compelling pairings.
I’ve always likened these shows to small, independent movies, where actors get a chance to spread their wings and command more of the spotlight in a leading role than they would as a supporting character surrounded by massive Hollywood names.
Sometimes it takes that indie showcase for people to recognize the considerable talents of someone like Keanu Reeves (My Own Private Idaho), Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry) or even Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting), and the same idea applies to fighting and identifying quality talents that have previously flown under the radar or failed to receive ample recognition.
Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s triumvirate of talents that everyone should be paying closer attention to as they ready to compete on Saturday and continue making waves in their respective divisions.
This is Fighters on the Rise.
Marcin Tybura
Some will surely balk at Tybura being included here, but it feels perfect in keeping with the indie movie idea noted above, as despite the fact that he’s a known commodity, most people don’t really understand or appreciate just how good the Polish veteran has been over the last several years.
The 38-year-old is 8-2 over the last four years and change, a run that began with his first win over Spivac In February 2020 and extends through his March submission victory over Tai Tuivasa.
Currently positioned at No. 8 in the rankings, Tybura has become the heavyweight version of the battle-tested veterans we constantly (and rightfully) laud in other divisions — fighters like Calvin Katter, Neil Magny, and Marina Rodriguez that haven't been able to clear the final hurdle standing between them and title contention, but give hell to anyone aiming to climb the divisional ranks at their expense.
What makes his ascent to this position even more impressive and commendable is that it has come following a 1-4 run that had Tybura scuffling to find a place in the heavyweight ranks; a run that included consecutive stoppage losses. Since then, the only people to best him inside the Octagon are Alexander Volkov, who has won four straight and five of his last six, and Tom Aspinall, the current interim champion who is also responsible for Volkov’s lone setback in the last two-plus years.
Saturday’s rematch with Spivac is a chance for Tybura to further illustrate his importance in the division and cement his place in the Top 10 even further. Spivac has clearly improved since their initial encounter, but Tybura has grown as a competitor, as well, and a second consecutive victory could earn him another date with someone stationed ahead of him in the rankings before the year is out.
Chepe Mariscal
In keeping with the indie movie theme, Mariscal profiles as a perfect “That Guy” fighter — what the folks on The Rewatchables over at The Ringer refer to as the “Joey Pants Award Winner,” named after iconic “that guy” Joe Pantoliano. Google his name if it doesn’t ring a bell; I guarantee you say, “Oh — that guy!”
Prior to arriving in the UFC, Mariscal’s name popped up opposite a host of notable emerging talents, as he crossed paths with future UFC fighters Gregor Gillespie, Bryce Mitchell, Pat Sabatini, Youssef Zalal (more on him below), Joanderson Brito, and Steve Garcia. He was known to hardcore fans and established as a championship-tier talent on the regional circuit, but it didn’t seem like he was going to get a chance to compete on the biggest stage in the sport.
But a short-notice opportunity opened up last year opposite Trevor Peek, and now 31-year-old “Machine Gun” made the absolute most of it, outworking the popular brawler in an all-action tussle before securing a second UFC victory less than three months later in Sydney when Jack Jenkins suffered an arm injury in the second round of their clash at UFC 295.
Earlier this year, Mariscal pushed his record to 3-0 inside the Octagon, extending his winning streak to six overall with a split decision win over Morgan Charriere. This weekend, he slides in against dangerous veteran Damon Jackson, seeking a fourth straight victory and even greater opportunities in the future.
Jackson is tough as nails and one of the most experienced hands in the featherweight division, having earned 23 wins in 30 career starts while fighting quality competition across a host of promotions, including a pair of stints competing inside the Octagon. Last time out, the Fortis MMA man gutted out a win over Alexander Hernandez to move to 6-3 during his second tour of duty with the UFC.
Pantoliano went from being a “that guy” to being the quintessential “that guy,” graduating to larger roles in critically-acclaimed films like Memento, a couple seasons on The Sopranos, and four turns as Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s boss in the Bad Boys series.
Mariscal is on the cusp of everyone knowing his name, and beating Jackson could be how he makes it happen.
Youssef Zalal
In terms of the film/acting theme carried throughout this piece this week, Zalal would fall into the “child actor that had some success, disappeared for a bit, and then came back and impressed a bunch of people as an adult” category for me.
Think Mark-Paul Gosselaar going from years of being Zack Morris on Saved By The Bell to being really good as a grown up on NYPD Blue and Franklin & Bash.
Zalal debuted in the Octagon at UFC 247, beating Austin Lingo. He was 23 years old, moved to 8-2 as a pro, and went on to win each of his next two UFC starts over Dana White’s Contender Series graduates to build some serious momentum. But then he ran into the debuting Ilia Topuria, which was followed by losses to Seung Woo Choi and Sean Woodson before a draw with Da’Mon Blackshear resulted in the Factory X representative being released from the promotion.
Earlier this year, after three wins on the regional circuit, Zalal returned to the UFC, turning a short-notice fight against Billy Quarantillo into a second-round submission win that should have prompted a lot of people to remember why most people were high on “The Moroccan Devil” as a prospect when he first touched down in the Octagon.
This weekend, Zalal gets his first full-camp fight back in the UFC against Jarno Errens, and it’s an opportunity for him to truly reinsert himself into the discussion of emerging names in the 145-pound ranks. He’s still only 27 years old, clearly made improvements since his first run in the promotion, and just might be one of those people that reached the big leagues too early, but is ready to thrive now.
It’s happened before, and there is no reason it can’t happen again.
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