Marcin Tybura vs. Damian Grabowski
M-1 Challenge 50 “Battle of Neva”
Aug. 15 | St. Petersburg, Russia
Ian Robinson: Marcin Tybura had been widely recognized as a top heavyweight prospect for quite some time now, but he was still missing a title from a respected organization. When this fight was booked for M-1 Challenge 50 “Battle of Neva” most saw it as the true test to determine Tybura's ceiling in the sport. Damian Grabowski had accumulated a 19-1 record and was regarded as one of the best heavyweight fighters not in UFC and Bellator. Tybura passed that test with flying colors, choking his Polish countryman unconscious with an effortless north-south choke less than 90 seconds into round one, and securing the M-1 Heavyweight title.
While a north-south choke finish in a heavyweight bout hardly seems noteworthy, Tybura’s execution is clean, and it came early enough so that the bout did not devolve into the kind of slopfest typical of so many big-men matchups these days. Even better, if you turn up the volume on the video, you can hear Grabowski gurgling as the end arrives. The bad news? The nature of his M-1 Global deal could mean that Tybura’s talents remain in Russia for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, in the relatively barren heavyweight division, where a familiar -- and aging -- cast of characters continues to reign supreme, Marcin Tybura remains a rare breath of fresh air.
Jordan Breen: The gurgling, oh God, the gurgling. Normally when you catch audible gurgling from a choke attempt on camera, it's a single, sustained gurgle before a fighter taps or goes unconscious. In this case, you get a real sense of how damn hard Grabowski is fighting and how damn hard Tybura is squeezing. This sounds like some kind of large marine creature dying a painful death and it goes on just long enough to make you feel weird.
It's not just the gurgling, though. Marcin Tybura, as pointed out, is an awesome prospect. But, this isn't him outclassing some know-nothing on the ground. Grabowski is a BJJ brown belt, a physically strong fighter and a good technical grappler by heavyweight MMA standards. Tybura puts him out 88 seconds, effortlessly. It's not easy to set up a north-south choke, either, without the benefit of knees to the head on the ground or some sort of real weapon to threaten with. All in a day's work for perhaps the best heavyweight prospect in MMA, who for now, remains locked up in Vadim Finkelchtein's cabinet.
Number 5 » Irish Feet are Smiling