The time has finally come for the UFC Vegas 88 Main Event from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. We'll be bringing you a betting prediction and pick for the headlining bout between ranked contenders in the Heavyweight Division. No. 9-ranked Tai Tuivasa will take on No. 10-ranked Marcin Tybura. Check out our UFC odds series for our Tuivasa-Tybura prediction and pick.

Tai Tuivasa (15-6) comes into this fight with an 8-6 record in the UFC en route to fighting some of the best heavyweights on the planet. His last three fights haven't gone his way as he's fallen to Gane, Pavlovich, and Volkov. He'll be looking to redeem himself with a win here as he faces another ranked competitor. Tuivasa stands 6'2″ with a 75-inch reach.

Marcin Tybura (24-8) fights behind a 11-7 UFC record since 2017 after becoming an M-1 Global Kickboxing Champion. After back-to-back wins over Alexandr Romanov and Blagoy Ivanov, Tybura dropped his last fight to Tom Aspinall in the first round. He'll get his second chance at facing Tuivasa with the intention of propelling his stardom forward with a win. Tybura stands 6'3″ with a 78-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC Vegas 88 Odds: Tai Tuivasa-Marcin Tybura Odds

Tai Tuivasa: -117

Marcin Tybura: -103

Over 1.5 rounds: -145

Under 1.5 rounds: +115

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Why Tai Tuivasa Will Win

Tai Tuivasa has seen an absolute wild line of competition over his last three fights and already faced three fighters ranked in the top-five of the division. His style is clear heading into each fight and you always know Tuivasa is gunning for the knockout each second he's in the cage. Despite the increase in competition, Tuivasa has been able to adapt his game and focus more on his accuracy rather than putting opponents out on sheer power alone. However, he may have a chance to return to his roots with an exciting fight against another willing striker.

Tai Tuivasa will have success in this fight if he doesn't overthink things and just fights like his true self. Tybura benefits from having a steady output of strikes and not taking too much damage, so Tuivasa should look to mix up his attacks as much as possible and throw Tybura off his consistent rhythm. As long as Tuivasa doesn't run into the jab over and over, he should be able to work around and pop Tybura with some heavy hooks while circling away from him.

Why Marcin Tybura Will Win

Marcin Tybura is one of the sneakier heavyweights on the UFC roster in terms of his striking capabilities. Winning an M-1 Global Championship is no joke and we've seen how effective Tybura's kickboxing can be in the UFC. He throws extremely accurate punches and he's very good about digging kicks into the body. He should look to pepper Tuivasa's body with punches and kicks while opening up the clinch situations. Tuivasa likes to dirty-box in the clinch, but he'll soon find out how effective Tybura's clinch game is with his knees and elbows off the break.

Marcin Tybura will win this fight if he's able to keep consistent pressure on Tuivasa and not give-in to his antics. He's got the cleaner striking game and should be better about shelling up in comparison to his opponent. Tybura should look to stick his jab in front and work his reach advantage while keeping Tuivasa at a safe distance. He's also got quick hands, so expect him to be darting in and out of range throughout this whole fight.

Final Tai Tuivasa-Marcin Tybura Prediction & Pick

This should be a fun fight months in the making and we're hoping these two make it to their walks to the cage. Both fighters are similar in skill level and we can expect this fight to take place on the feet for the majority. Both guys have knockout power and it'll be a matter of closing the distance and finding the perfect punch.

Tai Tuivasa will see success if he's able to stun Tybura and crowd him along the fence. His awkward striking angles could spell trouble for Tybura, but Tai will have to be good about covering up and limiting the damage on his body.

Marcin Tybura can win this fight if he's able to lead with his jab and stay consistent with kicks to the legs and body. Tuivasa doesn't check a ton of kicks, so expect Tybura to keep returning to them if he finds the shin early.

For our prediction, we'll roll with Tai Tuivasa to rebound and get a big win here. His style is just awkward enough to throw Tybura off his game and I expect Tuivasa to be the one finding the harder shots at the end. However, this fight could favor Tybura and his style the longer it goes. Still, let's ride Tai Tuivasa to get this win.

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Final Tai Tuivasa-Marcin Tybura Prediction & Pick: Tai Tuivasa (-117)