After a trip to the Middle East, the UFC is back on its home turf this week with a pair of ranked heavyweights at the top of the lineup.
Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 61 with big men in the headlining spot, plus bantamweights in the co-feature.
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC on ESPN 61 has a main card that starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET.
Veteran broadcaster Karyn Bryant serves as desk anchor and host at UFC on ESPN 61.
“The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner Michael Chiesa and retired welterweight veteran Alan Jouban joins her as analysts at the desk. Noted octagon announcer Joe Martinez will introduce the fighters before battle at UFC on ESPN 61.
Brendan Fitzgerald will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC on ESPN 61.He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by retired former middleweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, as well as former lightweight contender Paul Felder.
(Mike Bohn – MMA Junkie)
Main event: Marcin Tybura
Record: 25-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC
Opponent: Serghei Spivac (16-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Key wins: Tai Tuivasa, Blagoy Ivanov, Alexandr Romanov, Ben Rothwell, Serghei Spivac
Misc.: Tybura snapped a two-fight skid and outworked Spivac for a unanimous decision in February 2020. Now, with wins in three of his past four, he’ll have to try to fend o ff Spivac’s hope to avenge.
Main event: Serghei Spivac
Record: 16-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC
Opponent: Marcin Tybura (25-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Key wins: Derrick Lewis, Greg Hardy, Aleksei Oleinik, Tai Tuivasa
Misc.: Spivac will try to avenge a loss from more than four years ago when he rematches Tybura. Since that setback, he only has lost to current interim champion Tom Aspinall and, this past September, Ciryl Gane.
Tybura-Spivac I photos
UFC debut: Nikolay Veretennikov
Record: 12-4
Opponent: Danny Barlow (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Demarques Jackson, Anthony Ivy
Misc.: Veretennikov lost a shot at the UFC on DWCS in 2021, but has won three straight by stoppage since then.
UFC debut: Stephanie Luciano
Record: 5-1-1
Opponent: Talita Alencar (5-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Misc.: Nearly a year after a draw with Alencar on DWCS, Luciano will make her UFC debut. She was supposed to fight in March, but pulled out with a rare bout of Dengue fever.
UFC on ESPN 61 main card betting odds
MAIN CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)
- Marcin Tybura (+100) vs. Serghei Spivac (-120)
- Damon Jackson (+205) vs. Chepe Mariscal (-250)
- Danny Barlow (-310) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (+245)
- Chris Gutierrez (-535) vs. Quang Le (+400)
- Chelsea Chandler (+105) vs. Yana Santos (-125)
- Charalampos Grigoriou (-185) vs. Toshiomi Kazama (+155)
UFC on ESPN 61 prelim betting odds
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)
- Pannie Kianzad (+145) vs. Karol Rosa (-175)
- Jhonata Diniz (+190) vs. Karl Williams (-235)
- Jarno Errens (+280) vs. Youssef Zalal (-380)
- Talita Alencar (+140) vs. Stephanie Luciano (-170)
