Biggest Winners, Loser From UFC Vegas 88

UFC Vegas 88 went down last night inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, which featured a Heavyweight showdown between Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura, which resulted in a first-round submission win for “Tybur” (highlights) The co-main event, however, ended in rather anti-climactic fashion after the Welterweight battle battle between Bryan Battle and Ange Loosa ended in a no contest (NC) as a result of an inadvertent eye poke (see it again here).

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Biggest Winner: Marcin Tybura

Just as it seemed Tai Tuivasa was on his way to ending the fight early after opening Tybura up with a nasty elbow, “Tybur” turned it around and pulled off a great comeback win. Indeed, Tybura shook off the cobwebs and managed to score a takedown. From there, the big man worked tirelessly to hook in a rear-naked choke, ultimately getting the stoppage win with one minute left in the opening frame. He is now No. 5 on the list of active Heavyweights with the most wins with 12 under the UFC banner, which will help climb up the 265-pound ladder.

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Runner Up: Gerald Meerschaert

Let’s give “GM3” some love after his excellent performance last night, putting Bryan Barberena to sleep with a slick rear-naked choke in round two of their Middleweight bout. The win was huge for Meerschaert, who was in desperate need of a win after losing his previous two bouts. Sure, he was wrongfully denied a cool $50,000 post-fight bonus award, but he did tie the best 185-pound fighter of all time, Anderson Silva, with the most finishes in the weight class with 11.

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Biggest Losers: Bryan Barberena and Tai Tuivasa

Coming into the event, Barberena was our pick for the fighter who needed a win the most after losing his previous three fights. Things didn’t get any better for “Bam Bam,” who suffered his fourth straight defeat after getting choked out by Gerald Meerschaert. With his last win coming nearly two years ago, Barberena is in danger of getting cut by the promotion because he has looked like a shell of the man who once went the distance with Leon Edward and Colby Covington, and defeated the likes of Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler. As for Tuivasa, he also suffered his fourth straight loss inside the Octagon after being submitted by Marcin Tybura. It’s a tough defeat for “Bam Bam” because it seemed as if he was on his way to scoring a first-round stoppage win himself before the tides turned in his opponents favor. He will likely fall out of the Top 10, maybe even out of the rankings altogether as a result of his horrible run.

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For complete UFC Vegas 88 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.