UFC Vegas 95 start time, all details about the fight card | Tybura vs. Spivac 2

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Las Vegas, Nevada to host UFC Vegas 95 later TONIGHT (Sat., Aug. 10, 2024) at UFC Apex. The main event, streamed on ESPN+, is a heavyweight bout between Marcin Tybura (No. 8) and Sergei Spivac (No. 9). In the redesigned co-main event Damon Jackson will face Chepe Mariscal in a featherweight affair.

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

What is hot:

We do not yet know exactly when Jon Jones will make his comeback to defend his 265-pound title against Stipe Miocicbut we expect it to be before the end of 2024. Until then, the other contenders in the division are trying their best to climb the rankings and get their shot at UFC gold. Two men trying to get into the top five are Tybura and Spivac. Tybura is 3-1 in his last four fights and an even more impressive 8-2 in his last 10 fights. One of those losses is against the current interim titleholder, Tom Aspinallso it’s safe to say that this big man is a real threat thanks to his all-around arsenal. He just scored a submission victory over Tai Tuivasabut he has never managed to win against a top-5 opponent and that is exactly what could get him through and put him in the title fight.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

As for Spivac, he was on a three-fight winning streak before facing the former UFC titleholder. Ciryl Gane 10 months ago, he lost to “Bon Gamin” by technical knockout (highlights). Now he wants to get back on the winner’s list to improve his ranking. “Polar Bear” is looking for revenge because he lost to Tybura in 2020 when the two first met, losing by unanimous decision. In terms of their win rate, they are practically tied, as Tybura has nine knockouts with seven submissions, and Spivac is right behind him with seven knockouts and seven submissions. That means both men can do it either way. It’s a huge fight for both heavyweights, one for revenge and to get back on track, the other hoping to take a 2-0 lead in the series and possibly move into the top 5. Don’t blink.

What is not:

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

Yana Santos And Chelsea Chandler made the main card and I just don’t know why. I understand that this card is stripped down to its bare bones due to all the fights that were canceled, but Santos has lost three fights in a row and should be relegated to the undercard. Chandler is simply a victim of being paired against Santos, as she is 2-1 in the Octagon and has an impressive 6-2 record overall. Aside from this fight being on the main card being a problem, I would have preferred Chandler to get someone with some momentum instead of someone who is struggling.

Original map vs. actual map:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The original co-main event between Chris Gutierrez And Javid Basharat was cancelled last week after Basharat had to resign. In his place will be Quang Lewho got the call before he got to the Contender Series. Also, Johnny Parsons was withdrawn from his welterweight fight with Yusaku KinoshitaSince no replacement could be found at short notice, the fight was cancelled completely. A flyweight fight between Allan Nascimento And Jafel Filho was also cancelled due to Nascimento’s illness.

Injuries:

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Uros Medic suffered a rib injury and had to abandon his fight against Daniel Barlowwho now meets the newcomer to the promotion Nikolai Veretennikov in a welterweight showdown that will take place on the main card.

Fresh blood:

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

Quang Le should appear on this the Contender Series in September, but instead he got the call of a lifetime to join the promotion after Javid Basharat withdrew from the event. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) bantamweight is undefeated at 8-0 with five finishes. The combative 135-pounder is as fast and full as can be and will have a chance to shine on the main card. He will have a tough task against Gutierrez, who is hungry for a win after losing to Song Yadong in his last fight and has dropped to 1-2 in his last three fights.

Nikolay Veretennikov has currently won three fights in a row (all finished), so he deserves to be called up to the team after Uros Medic pulled out of the competition. Veretennikov trains at Kings MMA and has a 12-4 record overall with an 80 percent finish rate. He will be looking to inflict his first loss on Danny Barlow, as he is currently 8-0, which includes winning his own UFC debut earlier this year by knocking him out. Josh Quinlan at UFC 298.

Stephanie Luciano will make her UFC debut against Talita Alencar in the opening fight of the event in a rematch from Contender series. They initially fought in September 2023, but the fight was ruled a draw. Alencar eventually made her UFC debut, defeating Rayanne dos Santos by split decision in December 2023. Luciano now has her debut fight, albeit against a familiar opponent with a score to settle. Luciano is 5-1-1, while Alencar is 5-0-1.

This is what the preliminary rounds look like:

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

Youssef Zalal was successful in his UFC return and defeated Billy Quarantillo via rear-naked choke (highlights) just four months ago to improve his winning streak to four. He will be lucky number five against Jarno Errenswho ended his losing streak of two fights against Steven Nguyen at the same event. This was Errens’ first win under the UFC banner, saving him from a possible release before his career really got off the ground.

One of the up-and-coming heavyweights to keep an eye on is Jhonata Dinizwho is undefeated at 7-0, which also includes his impressive UFC debut against Austen Lane He knocked him out in the second round earlier this year (see here). All seven of his wins have come by knockout, six of them in the first round, so he hits as hard as anyone. He will look to keep that momentum going when he faces Charles Williamswho has won seven fights in a row. He has a 3-0 record under the UFC banner, but hasn’t scored a knockout victory in two years.

In the women’s bantamweight division Karol Rosa And Pannie Kianzad will attack in a fight with a lot at stake. Rosa has only gone 2-3 in her last five fights and just lost to a former title contender, Irene Aldana. Rosa started her UFC career 4-0 but has cooled off a bit and just doesn’t have the consistency she needs. Kianzad has lost two fights in a row and is just 1-3 in her last four fights. She needs a win here if she wants to avoid the chopping block.

For those who urgently need a win:

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

In his first two official fights with UFC, Toshiomi Kazama has suffered first-round defeats, which is not exactly the best start to his run in the biggest promotion in the world. He will look to avoid his third straight loss – and possibly his firing – while trying to get a win against Georgios Charalamposwho did not make much of an impression in his UFC debut and lost to Chad Anheliger by unanimous decision a few months ago.

Interest level: 4/10

Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

We’ve already discussed all but one of the fights in the section above, so let’s dive in to see what’s left. Chepe Mariscal has really impressed during his short time with the promotion, as the exciting featherweight has won his first three fights, extending his winning streak to six in a row. Chepe has made the most of his run so far and has no plans to slow down anytime soon. He will face Damon Jacksonwho recently ended his losing streak of two fights by Alexander Hernandez in a fight that most thought should have gone the other way after the verdict was a split decision. Still, “Action” wants to prove that he is not slowing down despite his last three appearances, and stopping Mariscal’s momentum would be a great way to do that.

The event is pretty disappointing and that didn’t help, but they can’t all be winners. There were a few injuries and illnesses and downright bad luck that led to several cancellations, which only watered down the event. But don’t worry, UFC 305 will follow that terrible card as the UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis defends his title against the former division king, Israel Adesanyanext Saturday, August 17, 2024, at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia. But if we’re being completely honest, this card isn’t packed enough to justify the high pay-per-view (PPV) price tag.

Enjoy the fights (as much as you can)!

Full UFC Vegas 95 fight card:

UFC 95 Main event on ESPN/ESPN+:

265 pounds: Marcin Tybura vs. Sergei Spivac 2

UFC 95 Main card on ESPN/ESPN+ (7:00 p.m. ET):

145 pounds: Damon Jackson vs. Chepe Mariscal
135 pounds: Chris Gutierrez vs. Quang Le — (not Javid Basharat)
125 pounds: Allan Nascimento Comparisons Jafel Filho — CANCELLED (details here)
170 lbs.: Danny Barlow vs. Nikolay Veretennikov — (not Uros Medic)
135 pounds: Yana Santos vs. Chelsea Chandler
135 pounds: Toshiomi Kazama vs. Charalampos Grigoriou

UFC 95 ‘Preliminary round card on ESPN/ESPN+ (5:00 p.m. ET):

135 pounds: Pannie Kianzad vs. Karol Rosa
265 pounds: Karl Williams vs. Jhonata Diniz
170 pounds: Jonny Parsons vs Yusaku Kinoshita — CANCELLED (details here)
145 pounds: Jarno Errens vs. Youssef Zalal
115 pounds: Stephanie Luciano vs. Talita Alencar

MMAmania.com delivers LIVE round by round and blow by blow the entire fight card of the UFC Vegas 95 HEREstarting with ESPN/ESPN+ preliminary card matchups scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN/ESPN+) at 7:00 p.m. ET.

For all the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 95 news and notes, be sure to visit our comprehensive event archives here and here. Click here to view the updated and final “Tybura vs. Spivac 2” fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ schedule.