Preview: UFC 267 ‘Blachowicz vs. Teixeira’

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Heavyweights

#5 HW | Alexander Volkov (33-9, 7-3 UFC) vs. #8 HW | Marcin Tybura (22-6, 10-4 UFC)

ODDS: Volkov (-275), Tybura (+235)

This is a solid heavyweight fight that really feels like it should have already happened at some point. Volkov has been a steady presence since coming to the UFC in 2016, as the former Bellator MMA champion has found consistent success while falling just short of top title contender status. At 6-foot-7 with a strong command of range, “Drago” can navigate most heavyweight waters without much issue, particularly due to his proven durability. If Volkov cannot just coast to a decision, he can usually outlast his opponent over multiple rounds and take over a fight down the stretch. While Volkov has the durability side of the heavyweight equation down, he has historically been hurt by his lack of one-shot knockout power. It has prevented him from turning clear wins into dominant performances and memorably cost him a 2018 bout against Derrick Lewis, who stayed around long enough to stage a comeback of his own and score a third-round knockout. Volkov’s last bout in June saw Ciryl Gane essentially beat him on his own terms, which is a rarity, but the Russian figures to get back onto the fringes of contention if he can deliver a win against the surging Tybura.

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Poland’s Tybura came to the UFC in 2016 after a successful campaign in Europe, and a debut loss to Timothy Johnson seemed to be a solid bellwether for “Tybur.” While the Pole is not a particularly undersized heavyweight, he also is not an exceptionally large one, so his default wrestling-heavy approach proved ineffective against a legit 265-pounder like Johnson. For the next few years, that was the clear story. Tybura’s mix of wrestling and a decently deft striking game was enough to beat heavyweights below a certain size, but the largest men in the division could neutralize him without much effort. After 2019 saw Tybura suffer knockout losses to Shamil Abdurakhimov and Augusto Sakai, the worry was that his durability had suddenly abandoned him to the point that he would no longer be effective. Instead, Tybura has rattled off five straight wins. While each of his opponents during this run have been flawed, victories over Ben Rothwell and Greg Hardy, if nothing else, prove that Tybura can finally beat much larger opponents. That run likely ends here. A lot of Tybura’s recent success has come from outlasting the foes that he cannot physically overwhelm, and Volkov’s the rare heavyweight who is content to leave things in first gear and coast out wins. While Volkov’s takedown defense is legitimately terrible against opponents who are able to get inside on him, he is also hard to submit or finish; and it is unlikely Tybura has the type of closing speed to get inside on Volkov to begin with. The pick is Volkov via decision.

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