Heavyweight contenders Marcin Tybura and Serghei Spivac square off in the main event at UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with prelims at 5 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN+).
Tybura beat Tai Tuivasa by first-round submission in his last bout. He has won three of his previous four fights. Spivac, No. 8 in ESPN's divisional rankings, enters the fight following a second-round knockout loss to Ciryl Gane.
Andreas Hale spoke to UFC and ESPN MMA analyst Din Thomas to get his perspective on the UFC main event. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds his insight and analysis on the main event and other intriguing bets he likes on the card.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Heavyweight: Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac
Din Thomas, UFC and ESPN MMA analyst
How Tybura wins: Tybura will have to rely on the one thing he's relied on for the duration of his career: durability. He is one of the most durable heavyweights in the UFC. He is both super durable and super experienced. He knows that no matter how bad it gets in the fight, he can win it as long as he's still in it. He's going to be overmatched. He's been overmatched before, but he's been able to weather the storm and stick around long enough to make a comeback and win the fight. He will have to rely on his durability, experience and knowing that no matter how bad it can get, he still has a chance to win the fight if he can stick around.
How Spivac wins: Spivac is very skilled and slick on the ground. He will have to rely on his grappling ability and his ability to finish. I don't think he has the power to finish Tybura, so he will have to rely on his ground game to get the job done. He must get the fight to the ground, maintain control and look for the finish.
X factor: Spivac's submission ability vs. Tybura's durability. Spivac's an excellent grappler, and if he can string together a combination of techniques to finish Tybura, he can get it done. But Tybura can weather the storm, stick around and win a boring decision if he has to.
Prediction: Tybura by decision.
Betting analysis
Parker: Tybura to win (+130). This is a rematch of their 2020 fight, which Tybura won by decision. Shockingly, Tybura is the underdog to Spivac, who hasn't fought in nearly a year. This is a close matchup, but I believe Tybura has more ways to win in this fight. If he can keep it standing and drag it into deep waters, expect Spivac to gas out and Tybura to take over in the late rounds.
Parker's best bets on the rest of the card
Heavyweight: Jhonata Diniz vs. Karl Williams
Williams to win (+175). In his last fight, Diniz made Austen Lane look like one of the best wrestlers on the planet, until Lane gassed out and Diniz KO'd him. Diniz now faces a real wrestling threat in Williams. Williams is 3-0 in the UFC and has used his wrestling and high fight IQ to win his fights by decision. This bout should be no different. As long as Williams avoids the power of Diniz, he should be able to take him down at will and get the win.
Featherweight: Youssef Zalal vs. Jarno Errens
Zalal to win (-475); use in parlay. After going 3-3-1 in his first UFC tenure, Zalal returned to the UFC in March, making a huge statement with a submission win over Billy Quarantillo. This fight against Errens is a step down in competition, and Zalal should have no issue getting a second consecutive win. Errens looked good in his last fight, but Zalal is light years ahead of him wherever this fight may go. Errens is very durable, expect this fight to go over -- so either put Zalal in your parlay or look for him to -in by decision.
Strawweight: Stephanie Luciano vs. Talita Alencar
Luciano to win (-170). This fight is a rematch from "Dana White's Contender Series" Season 7, where the fight ended in a draw. Alencar is a grappling specialist who tends to have a good first round but gasses out as the fight goes on. Luciano will have a striking and reach advantage that should keep this fight standing and in her favor. If Alencar can't get this fight to the ground and keep it there, she's in for a long night.