Marcin Tybura was originally set to fight Mark Hunt as the UFC Sydney main event, but Hunt was pulled from the fight by the promotion. In steps Fabricio Werdum, former heavyweight champion. Tybura is on a three-fight win streak, with two knockouts and a decision victory over the legendary Andrei Arlovski most recently.

Fabricio Werdum has fought everywhere and is known as the greatest heavyweight submission artist on the planet. Werdum is 2-1 since losing the title, most recently submitting Walt Harris on a day’s notice last month.

Marcin Tybura opened up the striking and Fabricio Werdum quickly answered. Werdum threw a head kick that was deflected. Both men worked their range striking, as Werdum landed a two-punch combination.

Werdum snuck a body kick under the left arm of Tybura and it landed nicely. A left hand sent Tybura backwards, then Werdum pursued initiating a clinch and throwing a knee. Tybura kept attempting a snap kick to the body, but it did not keep the Brazilian away as Werdum pushed forward with a combination and clinched the Polish heavyweight.

Werdum took a few tries to drag Tybura down, but when he did, Tybura smoothly stood up and let Werdum slide off his back. Tybura clinched the back of Werdum, and Werdum countered with a kimura attempt as the round ended.

Werdum landed a very solid one-two to start the second round. Tybura seemed to not yet figure out his range, as Werdum narrowly missed a flying knee. Just like that Tybura landed a body-head combination but ate a body kick in the process. Tybura landed a head kick that Werdum visibly shook off.

Tybura threw a pair of snap kicks and Werdum responded with a leg kick. Werdum attempted to initiate a clinch and Tybura threw him off. Each man’s charges just missed as they reset to the center of the Octagon. Werdum threw a wheel kick that missed but was acknowledged by Tybura, then landed a combination that started with a Muay Thai clinch knee. Tybura got out of Werdum’s range as the round came to a close.

Fabricio Werdum started the third round with a one-two as a leg kick for Marcin Tybura. A big jumping knee landed for Werdum after a snap kick from his opponent. A pair of head kicks narrowly missed for Werdum then Tybura responded with one of his own that was deflected.

The heavyweights started to fall into wild close-range exchanges, with Werdum doing his best to initiate the Muay Thai clinch. Werdum began to pull away in the latter half of round three. A slick combination landed for Werdum which he followed up by landing a clinch knee that paused Tybura along the fence. The Brazilian unsuccessfully attempted a takedown, and Tybura was able to survive the round.

Hard combinations landed each way to start the fourth round. Tybura seemed a bit more worn at this point then Werdum, who landed a takedown that did not last long as Tybura stood up along the cage.

As the fighters relocated, Werdum successfully landed a single leg takedown into half guard with two minutes to work. Werdum made it to side control, but a scramble was initiated and Tybura stood up. Tybura shot for a takedown and Werdum countered with a guillotine, but Tybura was saved by the bell. Werdum held the choke a bit too long for the liking of the Tybura corner, but it did not escalate.

Tybura landed a right hand then a big head kick that seemed to stun Werdum. A left landed for Tybura as well. A combination landed for the Brazilian. Tybura began landing at a higher rate, going from snap kick to head kick. Another right landed for the Polish heavyweight, as well as a swiping right hand.

Another exchange saw both fighters get caught. A big clinch knee landed for Werdum followed by a combination. Werdum pushed hard for a combination that Tybura withstood. With 10 seconds left, both participants swung for the fences until the final bell.

UFC Sydney featured another fine performance from Fabricio Werdum, but Marcin Tybura is a promising contender at heavyweight.

Fabricio Werdum def. Marcin Tybura by Unanimous Decision (50-45 x2, 49-46)

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Jessica-Rose Clark came in as a late replacement for Joanne Calderwood in this bout, and will be making her promotional debut at UFC Sydney. Clark is 7-4 in her career and is coming off of a win in Titan FC.

Bec Rawlings entered the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter as one of the initial members of the strawweight division. She’s had a rough go in the Octagon since losing to Tecia Torres on the show, going 2-3, currently on a two-fight skid. Rawlings missed weight in her last bout, and will now fight 10 pounds heavier at flyweight.

Jessica-Rose Clark landed a straight to kick things off, then Bec Rawlings responded with a combination. Rawlings caught a kick and took down her opponent. Rawlings worked from guard for a bit until Clark reversed position. Rawlings rolled for an armbar, but Clark stuffed the attempt.

Clark stood up and allowed Rawlings to follow. Rawlings pushed forward and initiated exchanges, but Clark was getting the better of her as round one came to a close.

Clark landed a solid right hand followed by a combination to start the second round, forcing Rawlings to initiate a clinch. Clark reversed position though and force Rawlings’ back to the cage. That did not last long though, as the two continued to reverse each other on the fence. Clark initiated a separation after she gained the favorable position.

Clark landed a leg kick and a knee to the body that seemed to hurt Rawlings. Clark followed with punches and took Rawlings down to work on an arm triangle. Clark was unable to break free to secure the arm triangle but was able to take Rawlings’ back, then full mount. The debutant looked great in the second stanza.

Rawlings and Clark met in the middle and started throwing down. Both fighters landed hard straights with Rawlings taking Octagon control. Right hands landed for each, then a right for Clark. Rawlings responded with a one-two, then ate a pair of body kicks. Stiff jab for Rawlings followed by a leg kick and a right for Clark. More wild exchanges commenced, with Rawlings landing a hard left and a right that rocked Clark

Clark initiated a clinch in order to survive and Rawlings took the bait, getting a takedown rather than pushing for a finish. Rawlings could not gain the separation required to land ground-and-pound, then Clark stood up and took down Rawlings with 30 seconds remaining. Clark closed out the fight with heavy ground and pound.

Another close fight for the UFC Sydney crowd. Jessica-Rose Clark took home a close split decision in her debut.

Jessica-Rose Clark def. Bec Rawlings by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

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Belal Muhammad was a Titan FC champion prior to joining the UFC. Since then, he is 3-2 with an epic Fight of the Night loss to Alan Jouban. Muhammad will be riding a two-fight win streak into UFC Sydney, with victories over both Randy Brown and Jordan Mein.

Tim Means is a joy to watch in the Octagon with five stoppage victories and a nasty clinch game along the way. Means bounced back from a loss to Alex Oliveira with an impressive decision victory over Alex Garcia. “The Dirty Bird” has earned two Performance of the Night bonuses in his five-year UFC career.

Punches were exchanged almost immediately, with Tim Means landing the most significant in the form of a left straight. Belal Muhammad answered with a right hook, then charged in with a combination. Muhammad worked behind his jab as Means landed another solid left straight.

Muhammad went body-head landing a big left hook. Means continued to push forward but was struggling landing with consistency. Muhammad popped a one-two while Means stuck him with another straight. Another big right over the top landed for Muhammad, as well as a left.

Means initiated a clinch and landed an elbow, then broke free. Muhammad landed another left hand and whiffed on a spinning backfist at the end of the round.

The battle of straight punches continued in the second round. There were blistering exchanges with nothing of significance landing. Muhammad shot for a takedown and got it but Means attempted a guillotine on the way down. Muhammad resisted by passing to half guard, then allowed Means up. Means landed a stiff jab as Muhammad missed a combination.

Muhammad slipped in the midst of an exchange due to a Means leg kick. Simultaneous jabs landed and Muhammad began to swell. Muhammad missed on a takedown effort, and the punch exchanges resumed until the round came to a close.

Means and Muhammad wasted no time, getting right back into in round three. Means narrowly missed a head kick but landed a slick leg kick during an exchange. It seemed as if the tide started to turn in Means’ favor in round three.

Muhammad’s contact lens came loose during an exchange so action was paused for a brief moment. After the action resumed, Muhammad seized the momentum again and landed a pair of combinations.

Muhammad landed a head kick then shot for a takedown that Means stuffed. Means landed a knee to the chin during the separation. Another low-high from Muhammad that Means answered with a pair of body shots.

Right hands landed for both fighters, then a left from Means before the fight came to a close. It was a very evenly matched contest that could go either way.

Belal Muhammad got the nod at UFC Sydney, and used his platform to call out rising contender Colby Covington.

Belal Muhammad def. Tim Means by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

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Jake Matthews garnered plenty of hype early in his UFC career, making his promotional debut at just 19-years-old. The Australian met those expectations, going 4-1 in his first five fights, with all four wins coming via stoppage. The hype train was halted by lightweight title contender Kevin Lee, who overpowered Matthews in one round. Matthews then dropped a disappointing bout to Andrew Holbrook, bringing his Octagon record to 4-3.

Bojan Velickovic has struggled to find consistency in any way, shape, or form in the UFC, with a 2-2-1 record. The Serbian has not had the same result consecutively thus far and is coming off a loss against top prospect Darren Till. Will the trend continue at UFC Sydney?

Jake Matthews shot for a takedown immediately and worked on a single-leg against the cage. Bojan Velickovic kept balance while landing some shots to the side of Matthews’ head. After nearly two minutes went by, Matthews finally spun Velickovic and got him to the ground. That was short-lived though as Velickovic stood up immediately.

Matthews stayed on him like fellow countryman Alex Volkanovski did earlier in the night. Matthews continued to desperately work for the takedown as Velickovic defended. With over a minute left, Matthews scored another takedown, this time keeping Velickovic on the mat.

Velickovic worked his way up with the use of a well-placed upkick but could not do much with Matthews hanging on him for the final 15 seconds.

With stern advice from his corner, Matthews elected to strike to start round two. He landed a right straight but ate a flying knee that stunned him. Matthews shot a reactive takedown and got it, but Velickovic turned it into a mounted guillotine attempt that was very tight before Matthews popped free.

Matthews spun, but Velickovic took his back and Matthews struggled to break free. Bear in mind this is Matthews’ welterweight debut after a career at 155-pounds. Matthews spun free and attempted a takedown that the fence stopped. Matthews landed a right but seemed to start tiring by the end of round two. Another right hand landed for the Aussie, then the left as the round came to a close.

Jake Matthews started the third round with a right hand then a nice double leg takedown into guard. Velickovic rolled out of bottom position and began to work for his own takedown. Velickovic dragged him down and took his back again. The fighters were positioned right in front of Matthews’ father, who pleaded with him to stand up.

After about a minute, Matthews bucked him off and took top position. Matthews began working ground and pound, while Velickovic attempted a kimura. The move backfired as Matthews took his back. The two swapped positions twice prior to the final bell.

It was a close back and forth bout, but Jake Matthews got back in the win column at UFC Sydney.

Jake Matthews def. Bojan Velickovic by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

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Alex Volkanovski has been very impressive in his UFC career ahead of UFC Sydney. The Australian has amassed a 2-0 record in a pair of dominant performances. Volkanovski is 15-1 in his entire MMA career.

Shane Young will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time, carrying a five-fight win streak with him. “Sugar Shane” is 11-3 in his career with nine stoppages, five by knockout, four by submission. Young was notified of this fight just eight days ago.

The combatants were feeling each other out for the first minute until Volkanovski threw a big right then shot for a takedown after it missed. Young defended and separated, but Volkanovski got him to the cage again with a pair of punches. Volkanovski swept him off his feet twice, with Young popping up quickly both times.

After Young broke free, Volkanovski pushed forward again and landed a takedown this time. Young ate some ground and pound, then worked his way to his feet. Young could not escape, as Volkanovski continuously pushed him against the fence, after the final separation of the round, Volkanovski landed a spinning backfist.

Volkanovski landed a pair of hard punches to start the second round, leading to another clinch. Young broke free, avoided a backfist, then missed a head kick of his own. Like clockwork, overhand right into the clinch for Volkanovski. The former rugby player landed a takedown but could not stay in top position long.

After a period of separation, overhand right to clinch, but Young broke free again. It seemed as though Young was starting to fade though, as Volkanovski slammed him to the canvas twice to end the round.

Volkanovski clinched up early in round three, but Young was able to land a takedown for a change. Young had back side control until Volkanovski literally stood up and threw Young off of him. Volkanovski followed him and took guard, then passed to side control. Young worked his way up, but was stuck against the cage for the remainder of the round.

A pretty clean victory for Alex Volkanovski, who is now 3-0 in the Octagon.

Alex Volkanovski def. Shane Young by Unanimous Decision (30-26 x2, 30-27)

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Before former champion Fabricio Werdum looks to earn his second win in as many months against Marcin Tybura in the main event of UFC Sydney, four preliminary fights will take place on FOX Sports 1. The featured prelim is a bout between aggressive flyweights Ryan Benoit and Askhan Mokhtarian. Benoit has alternated losses and wins in his UFC career, and looks to even up his 2-3 Octagon record. Mokhtarian, on the other hand, seeks to bounce back from a tough loss to John Moraga in his promotional debut.

The rescheduled bout between Will Brooks and Nik Lentz is set to take place as well. Brooks is 1-2 in the Octagon after losing to both Alex and Charles Oliveira via stoppage. Lentz has been in the UFC since 2009, posting an 11-5-1 record in both the lightweight and featherweight divisions.

Rashad Coulter will attempt to get in the win column this time following his Fight of the Night defeat in his promotional debut. He’ll welcome Australia native Tai Tuivasa to the UFC. Tuivasa is 5-0 in his career, all wins coming via first-round knockout.

But first, Damien Brown and Frank Camacho will throw down to kick things off on FOX Sports 1. Brown is 2-2 in his UFC career and will aim to impress his home country. Frank Camacho is coming off a short notice debut loss in which he earned Fight of the Night.

The UFC Sydney FOX Sports 1 prelims start at 8 p.m. EST. Check back here for full recaps and results of the four-fight slate.

Ryan Benoit vs. Askhan Mokhtarian

It only took a minute for Askhan Mokhtarian to find his range, as he landed a big right hand that wobbled Ryan Benoit early. Mokhtarian clinched up with Benoit but could not secure a takedown. Benoit landed a right of his own after the separation.

Mokhtarian showed plenty of lateral movement, to the dismay of Benoit. Once he stopped in front of Benoit, he ate a pair of straight punches. Another one-two landed for Benoit as Mokhtarian elected to strike less as the round went on. Benoit landed a pair of heavy hooks to end the round.

Benoit told his coaches that he believed his hand was broken in between rounds. A big head kick landed for Benoit, and followed up landing a shot with his injured hand. Mokhtarian answered with a left, then ate a head kick. Another left landed for Mokhtarian then a leg kick.

Mokhtarian began to stick jabs to the body then landed a big left hook. Benoit ate a leg kick as he pushed back. Haymakers landed for each fighter simultaneously, and a charge from Benoit was thwarted. Benoit put a stamp on the round with a takedown and hard punches as Mokhtarian was standing up.

Simultaneous lefts landed for each fighter to start the third round, as Mokhtarian committed to his footwork. Benoit landed a few lefts, then Mokhtarian charged in and landed a spinning backfist. Mokhtarian landed a left, and Benoit pushed back. Mokhtarian changed directions right into a beautiful head kick that knocked Askhan Mokhtarian out. A great late finish for the flyweight. Benoit exchanged words with Mokhtarian’s corner afterwards but nothing escalated.

Ryan Benoit def. Askhan Mokhtarian by KO (Head Kick) in Round 3 (2:38)

Nik Lentz vs. Will Brooks

Nik Lentz clinched up right away and threw a knee that Books deflected. Brooks separated and ate a leg kick from Lentz as he attempted a jab. Brook has early strategy of landing a jab then using head movement to avoid retaliation.

Brooks saw the right moment to shoot in and he did, taking Lentz down. Letz attempted a guillotine that became fairly deep until Brooks flipped out of it. Lentz began to land on the feet. Brooks stuck to his straight punches that were landing with consistency, then had a takedown effort stuffed.

Lentz ate a jab then charged in to clinch Brooks against the fence. The round ended with Lentz hanging off of Brooks on the cage.

It was back to the jab in round two for Brooks. He sought one-twos while slipping the attacks of Lentz. Early on it just seems that Brooks is on a different level. Lentz landed a body kick that Brooks turned into a temporary clinch.

The fighters separated and Lentz pushed forward, causing Brooks to shoot a reactive takedown. The takedown was successful, but Lentz locked in the guillotine again. This time, Brooks’ escape attempts were fruitless, and he was forced to tap. A come-from-behind victory for “The Carny.”

Nik Lentz def. Will Brooks by Submission (Guillotine) in Round 2 (2:05)

Rashad Coulter vs. Tai Tuivasa

The big fellas clashed quickly, with Tuivasa pushing Coulter against the cage with a string of punches. Tuivasa attempted a takedown but ended up on his back. Coulter was unable to generate much offense from top position, as Tuivasa tactfully stood up. Tuivasa was able to push Coulter against the cage again with a huge right hand, then threw Coulter to his hands and knees.

Coulter stood up immediately then ate a heavy combination from Tuivasa. Tuivasa put his weight on Coulter against the cage, but not for long. The heavyweights separated and Tuivasa threw a leg kick that swept Coulter off his feet. As Coulter stood up, Tuivasa threw a flying knee that landed clean. Coulter was out immediately and the fight was stopped as Tuivasa missed his follow up bomb.

Tai Tuivasa def. Rashad Coulter by KO (Flying Knee) in Round 1 (4:35)

Damien Brown vs. Frank Camacho

Punches were exchanged early, then Damien Brown initiated a grappling exchange. Camacho turned Brown to the fence, then Brown was able to reverse position and secure a takedown. Camacho stood up, then took down Brown, who bounced up very quickly. Later on, Brown took down Camacho and took his back, but could not lock in a choke before the time expired.

Frank Camacho took control of the pace in the second round. He consistently pushed forward and threw wild shots. Brown happily obliged to the brawl and threw haymakers back at Camacho. Towards the end of the second round, Brown began to get a feel for his game. Landing a hard shot on Camacho.

Camacho must have heard a bell because he stopped and let out a battle cry a few seconds before the round ended, then apologized to Brown for not fighting.

Brown came out hard in round three, going for a knockout blow. Camacho and Brown both went wild. Brown threw spinning attacks, and Camacho threw heavy combinations in return. By the end of the final round, both fighters were a mess and completely abandoned any defensive strategy. Hands were dropped and punches were flying. With Brown’s back against the cage, shots landed hard until the final bell. Fight of the night, easy.

Frank Camacho def. Damien Brown by Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

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Staff Writers	Volkanovski vs. Young	Theodorou vs. Kelly	Matthews vs. Velickovic	Means vs. Muhammad	Rawlings vs. Clark	Werdum vs. Tybura
Heath Harshman (84-42)
Mike Straus (14-9)
Mike McClory (63-43)
Danny Doherty (74-52)
Paarth Pande (66-48)
Jay Anderson (71-55)
Gabriel Gonzalez (28-22)

UFC Sydney has the look of an underwhelming card on paper, but events Down Under have a tendency to deliver in the entertainment category. Mark Hunt vs. Bigfoot Silva I, Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey, eleven finishes in eleven fights the last time the UFC was in Sydney. There’s something in the water in Australia.

Marcin Tybura is on a three-fight winning streak, with two stoppages, but you’ll need more than momentum to defeat former champion Fabricio Werdum. Werdum is the second-ranked contender in the heavyweight division and is 2-1 since losing his title to current champion Stipe Miocic. Coming off a quick submission last month, Cageside Press is unanimously on the side of Werdum.

The co-main event will feature women’s flyweights for the second time in UFC history. Bec Rawlings and Jessica-Rose Clark will battle it out in front of their home crowd, with Clark replacing an injured Joanne Calderwood. Cageside Press believes Clark’s promotional debut will not go very well, with each writer picking the veteran Rawlings.

In what looks to be the most entertaining bout on the card, Belal Muhammad will fight Tim Means. Both men come into the bout with momentum, Means bounced back from a loss with a win over Alex Garcia, and Muhammad has topped two consecutive opponents. Cageside Press favors the hot hand at UFC Sydney, with five of seven writers picking Muhammad.

Jake Matthews and Bojan Velickovic are a pair of up-and-comers who have struggled recently. Matthews has lost two straight bouts after a 4-1 start to his UFC career, while Velickovic is 2-2-1 in the Octagon thus far. Cageside Press believes Matthews will rekindle his UFC career in Sydney, with five of seven writers picking the Aussie.

Dan Kelly’s unexpected four-fight run came to an end quickly against top contender Derek Brunson. Elias Theodorou lost his most recent bout as well, dropping his Octagon record to 5-2. The much younger Theodorou was favored slightly by Cageside Press, receiving four of seven picks.

Opening up the main card is the very impressive Australian prospect Alex Volkanovski as he welcomes Shane Young to the UFC. Volkanovski is 2-0 in the UFC with an impressive 15-1 career record. Young is 11-3 but makes his debut with five straight victories under his belt. Just one writer believes Young will start his UFC career the right way.

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The Octagon will be touching down in Australia for the final time in 2017 when Fabricio Werdum returns to take on up-and-comer Marcin Tybura in the main event of UFC Sydney. The Brazilian looks to continue his comeback after coming up short against Alistair Overeem while Tybura is in the midst of a three-fight win-streak and could break into the title picture with a victory.

Werdum’s last outing was against Walt Harris at UFC 216 where he needed just over a minute to complete an armbar with virtually no effort. The victory comes after he created headlines for his use of homophobic slurs in a media scrum against UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson. Werdum is claiming ignorance but the UFC saw fit to assign him community service for his comments. Werdum was supposed to fight the more well-known Derrick Lewis at UFC 216, however, Lewis was unable to compete due to fight night injury. Unfortunately for Werdum, his status as a veteran means that he’s already faced the best of the heavyweight division and the only new match-ups are against up-and-comers like Tybura.

The former heavyweight champion has only lost twice in the last six years: Once to Stipe Miocic in which he lost his title in 2016 and the second to Alistair Overeem this past July. He holds an impressive record, but “Vai Cavalo” has been fighting since 2002 and faced virtually every elite heavyweight in the world. Following two losses in the past two years, Werdum is now the odd man out in the round robin occurring at the top of the division. Fighters like Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos are inactive for various reasons, and Francis Ngannou will be facing Overeem in a title eliminator next month in December.

That leaves the pickings slim for Werdum who now faces the emerging Marcin Tybura who is coming off his biggest career victory. “Tybur” defeated an MMA pioneer in June when he took a decision over Andrei Arlovski. “The Pitbull” is one of the most well-known mixed martial artists in Europe, giving extra value for the 31-year-old Tybura.

The Polish heavyweight is currently ranked eighth in the division and is on a parallel course with Alexander Volkov to see which man will be first to break into the top five. In a unique situation, they benefit from the impressive reign of Miocic the past two years. With the exception of Francis Ngannou, Miocic has virtually cleaned out the elite of the division and will be seeking new talent sooner rather than later. With a victory over Werdum, Marcin Tybura could well find himself against a top three contender early next year to see who will get the next shot at the champion following the winner of Overeem & Ngannou.

In the co-main event, Ultimate Fighter Season 20 member Bec Rawlings looks to get back on track against promotional newcomer Jessica-Rose Clark. “Jessy Jess” replaces Joanne Calderwood on less than two weeks notice. Clark was preparing for her Invicta FC debut on December 8, but the Australian native now cuts her camp several weeks short to face Rawlings on their home turf.

“Rowdy” Bec has been on a tough skid, dropping fights to fan-favorites Paige VanZant and Tecia Torres. Rawlings is 2-3 in the UFC and is likely fighting for her spot on the roster as she has faced a higher level of competition than Clark. Rawlings is favored to win, but she’ll need to show that her past struggles have been a result of style mismatches rather than her skills.

The Land of Oz has produced plenty of memorable matches over the years. While the main event of UFC Sydney carries the star power, history has proven time and again that the undercard can sometimes provide the most electric contests. As the final trip Down Under for the UFC in 2017, you can expect plenty of fighters to make a statement going into the new year.

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