UFC Fight Night 121 results from last night: Fabricio Werdum vs Marcin Tybura fight recap

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight contenders Fabricio Werdum and Marcin Tybura clashed last night (Nov. 18, 2017) at UFC Fight Night 121 inside the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

A pair of recent losses to the division’s top two fighters set Werdum back a step. In response, the Brazilian has upped his activity, looking to make the most of his talents while the 40-year-old combatant was still in fighting shape.

A three-fight win streak saw Tybura advance into the top 10, earning him this massive step up in competition. He was a considerable underdog, but the Pole was definitely in a great position to play spoiler.

Tybura looked to fight from the outside, kicking at the lead leg and aiming for counter hooks. Werdum accepted that distance but was the aggressor, chopping at his foe with kicks. When Werdum did advance, he kept his hands tight, punching into the clinch and trying to land knees.

Werdum switched it up in the final 90 seconds with a single leg attempt that allowed him to move into the back clinch. Tybura defended well and prevented the takedown, but he was unable to answer with much of his own offense.

It was a strong, composed start for the former champion.

Werdum remained methodical into the second, nearly landing a massive knee early in the round. That may have missed, but Werdum’s body kicks continued to find a home. Tybura responded with a surprisingly clean high kick, but Werdum somehow absorbed it with no response.

Tybura landed decently, but he found himself stuck on the end of Werdum’s straight punches. The jab and cross landed repeatedly from the Brazilian, whereas Tybura’s punches came up short. He landed some oblique kicks, but otherwise Tybura did not find consistent success.

Werdum finished the round with a good flurry along the fence, putting a stamp on it.

The Brazilian continued his advance into the third round, making use of a lot of snap kicks up the middle. Additionally, Werdum was faking low and going high with knees more often, and those power shots came very close to landing perfectly.

The large number of kicks to the body and legs seem to catch up to the Pole in the third, as he wasn’t circling quite as much. He wasn’t fully exhausted, but he was worn down quite a bit. Tybura’s increasingly flat-footed approach saw him eat more shots, and it allowed Werdum to wrap up the double-collar tie more often.

Heading into the championship rounds, Werdum was far ahead on the scorecards and in terms of damage.

The fourth round continued in similar fashion until Werdum hit an inside trip with a couple minutes remaining. From top position, Werdum landed a couple nice elbows and advanced into side control, but Tybura denied his opponent any opportunities to really attack. In fact, Tybura managed to escape back to his feet and attempt a takedown, but he was threatened by a guillotine at the bell.

With five minutes remaining, Tybura needed a knockout.

Tybura came out looking for the high kick and partially landed it a couple times, but Werdum’s chin proved ironclad. The Brazilian’s activity did drop a bit, but it mostly seemed like he was coasting more than fatigued. Even with the decline in volume, Werdum tagged his foe with jabs, body kicks, and the occasional knee.

It was Tybura’s best round of the fight, and he still didn’t win it.

This was classic Werdum kickboxing for 25 minutes. His jab and cross landed consistently from the beginning, allowing him to establish his range. Before long, he was adding hard body kicks to the end of his combinations or latching onto the clinch. His activity level for a 40-year-old Heavyweight is massively impressive, as Werdum consistently out-worked his foe for the full five rounds.

Werdum also showed some development with his kicks up the middle. That’s something he’s used in the past but never to this extent. All those kicks added up, and they really served a purpose in wearing his opponent down. After ten minutes of kicks to the legs and body, Tybura was far less dangerous.

This win makes it two straight for Werdum, and it sets him up for another big fight. Frankly, I like the idea of Werdum facing new foes, so a high-level but newer opponent like Alexander Volkov could be a lot of fun.

Tybura fought reasonably well. He never looked sloppy or fully out-classed, but he also did not have any answer for Werdum’s volume or kicks. The lack of a jab also troubled him, as he limited his own range by relying so heavily on wide shots. Counter punching opposite Werdum is smart, but it’s not going to work if he’s able to be fully relaxed at range and plan out his approach.

Ultimately, it’s a learning experience for the young Heavyweight contender, whose best years are still ahead of him.

Last night, Fabricio Werdum beat up his opponent en route to a decision victory. Who should the former champ face next?

For complete UFC Fight Night 121 “Werdum vs. Tybura” results and play-by-play, click HERE!