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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
Marcin Tybura scored the quickest win of his UFC career on Saturday against Tai Tuivasa in the first round of the heavyweight main event.
Tybura (25-8) stopped Tuivasa (15-7) with a rear naked choke at 4:08. Tybura's fastest finish in the UFC was 4:06 against Walt Harris in 2021. The match should have ended sooner, but Tuivasa refused to tap and eventually lost consciousness. The heavyweight bout headlined UFC Fight Night inside the Apex in Las Vegas.
“I was strangling him for a long time,” Tibura said. “I could hear him going through a lot, but he wasn't giving up yet. I was like, 'Oh, what is he made of?'
Australia's Tuivasa went into Saturday's contest looking for a win at all costs. The 31-year-old fan favorite has been on a bit of a slump over the past two years. He has now lost four straight inside the Octagon, with each loss ending.
He appeared to be in good shape as he tackled Tybura's lead leg with low kicks right from the start. He cut Tybura off with a nice elbow from the Thai clinch, but conceded a takedown against the fence less than half the round. When Tybura defeated Tuivasa, he easily got behind him and shot him in the side of the head. The shot eventually turned into a rear-naked choke, giving Tybura his first submission victory since 2014.
Poland's Tybura has won three of his last four fights, with his only loss coming to current interim champion Tom Aspinall. He has 12 wins, the fifth most among active UFC heavyweights.
Tuivasa, who was ranked No. 9 in his division before this fight, has not won since February 2022, when he lost to Derrick Lewis by second-round knockout.
