UFC on ESPN 9 ‘Woodley vs. Burns’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Chris Gutierrez (145.5) vs. Vince Morales (145.5)

Round 1

Welcome back to the Fight Capital of the World! The UFC is live in Las Vegas, for the first of five consecutive Saturdays of events. We kick things off in the featherweight division, between two former bantamweights Gutierrez (14-4-1, 2-1 UFC) and Morales (9-4, 1-2 UFC). Referee Jason Herzog will oversee the action in this preliminary opener, and a glove touch starts off the night in style. Gutierrez opens up with a nasty leg kick, and Morales reacts quickly. Morales comes at him with two looping punches to make him pay, but he falls short and allows Gutierrez to crack him in that lead leg again. The wide stance of Morales has his front leg a perfect target, and Gutierrez goes after it again. These kicks already have Morales flustered, and Gutierrez wings a spinning wheel kick that Morales is able to block in time. The leg kick offense from Gutierrez continues, and Morales is not checking them or doing anything but trying to turn with them. Gutierrez rips to the body with a kick, and then two leg kicks make Morales wobbly. Two more come from Gutierrez, who is landing them at will and putting Morales in a world of hurt. Morales can’t get out of the way in time from one more and nearly locks his legs up, but he does avoid another spinning offering. Gutierrez sneaks up a head kick, and Morales rolls with it, and then takes a second for good measure. One more leg kick from Gutierrez causes Morales to flinch and switch stances, and he has started to display a limp. His footwork is impacted severely as he comes up short with two long jabs to the body. Gutierrez decides to aim a kick to the inside now, and then goes back to the outside. One solid low kick forces Morales to switch stances, and he is in a bad way as he barely blocks a spinning attack. Morales tags him with a left hand surprisingly, but Gutierrez backs off, gathers his thoughts and comes back with more nasty leg kicks. While Morales is standing in southpaw, Gutierrez targets the other leg to great effect. Gutierrez kicks out the lead leg of his opponent, and Morales falls to his back and pulls himself back up using the cage. A few punches from Gutierrez have bloodied up the nose of his opponent, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gutierrez

Round 2

We get a nice look at the lead leg of Morales before the round begins, and it is three shades of vermilion and fuchsia. Unsurprisingly, leads off gunning for that lead leg when Morales starts the round in an orthodox stance. Gutierrez lands a few, and Morales immediately changes his mind to put that battered leg back. Gutierrez is able to score at will with high kicks, long jabs, and fakes a few spinning strikes to get Morales to bite. Morales tries to step forward to land a few punches, but there is no snap on them and he cannot reach his adversary. Gutierrez blasts the other leg of Gutierrez, and Morales is in the danger zone. “Vandetta” flinches and nearly falls over, so Gutierrez chases him down and kicks the other leg. Somehow, Morales is still standing, and he grits it out and charges forward with a bull rush of punches but cannot land much of note. Gutierrez is having a grand time, grinning as he clobbers the legs of his opponent, and rips a few more that make Morales bend over with his back leaning on the fence. The fight could be stopped at any moment, and Herzog is taking a close look at the fight. Gutierrez fakes him out with a few strikes and allows Morales to come at him with reckless abandon, but like before, his flurry falls shy of the intended target. Two thudding kicks cause Morales to topple over with his legs locked like a fainting goat, and Gutierrez climbs on top to land some ground-and-pound. “El Guapo” stands back to let his opponent back up, and fires off a few kicks low and high for good measure. One dangerous leg kick causes Morales to drop down and put his hands on his legs, and Gutierrez stands back to admire his work. Morales hobbles around the cage to try to survive the methodical assault, but one last brutal leg kick from Gutierrez chops the tree down for good. Morales crumbles to the canvas, and Herzog mercifully stops the prolonged beating. We are treated to a rare leg kick stoppage, and Gutierrez becomes the first fighter to stop Morales with strikes. Also to note, there are no post-fight interviews in the cage tonight. Instead, commentator Daniel Cormier speaks to the winner with a headset as Gutierrez calmly celebrates in a nondescript hallway.

The Official Result

Chris Gutierrez def. Vince Morales R2 4:27 via TKO (Leg Kick)

Casey Kenney (136) vs. Louis Smolka (136)

Round 1

Moving to the bantamweight division, former two-division interim LFA champ Kenney (13-2-1, 2-1 UFC) takes on one of the more experienced fighters on the card in Smolka (16-6, 7-6 UFC). The referee will be Chris Tognoni, who plans on keeping things clean as the two touch ‘em up. Kenney starts off aggressive, and lands a body kick but gets countered by two thudding hooks to the body from Smolka. Kenney takes another shot to the body, and comes forward to land a leg kick. They come together and swing heavily, and both score on the other. Two big leg kicks score from Kenney, and as Smolka tries to make him pay, Smolka gets clipped with a left. Smolka is almost exclusively aiming at the body with punches and kicks, and Kenney is eating them without issue. A low kick from Kenney scoops the legs out from his opponent, and Smolka jumps back up. Kenney may have been watching the previous fight, because he targets that lead leg a few more times to dramatic effect. When Kenney kicks low, Smolka counters with quick hooks. A low kick and a front kick to the body back off Smolka when he is advancing, but “Da Last Samurai” catches the next kick coming at him and pushes Kenney against the fence. Kenney escapes, and the two clinch up where Smolka rips the body a few more times. They slug it out, and Kenney catches him with a huge right hand. Smolka wobbles and keeps his balance, but Kenney dives after him and bowls him over. Hopping over to top position, Kenney snatches up the neck with one arm and wrenches for what appears to be a ten-finger guillotine. Smolka attempts to sit up from the position, but Kenney holds on tight and squeezes with all his might while putting his body weight on top of his man. Smolka is forced to tap out, and when Tognoni stops the fight, the Hawaiian immediately lets out a shout of frustration for having lost. This is a statement performance for Kenney, who records a very impressive stoppage over a longtime vet.

The Official Result

Casey Kenney def. Louis Smolka R1 3:03 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Tim Elliott (126) vs. Brandon Royval (125.5)

Round 1

Following the trend of going down 10 pounds to the next bout, we have reached the flyweight division, where former title challenger Elliott (15-10-1, 4-8 UFC) takes on longtime LFA vet and UFC newcomer Royval (10-4, 0-0 UFC) on short notice. Royval was previously booked on the Contender Series, but he was yanked to the big leagues to take on a man who dances out to the cage with Kennedy’s “Karate” playing in the background. Referee Mark Smith oversees the action between these two fast starters, and with no glove touch, away we go! Within seconds, a majestically mulleted Elliott hits a takedown. Royval scrambles and gives up his back, and Elliott starts raining down punches and lands a couple to the back of the head in the process. Royval leans to his back, and Elliott tries to set up an armbar but Royval bursts up to his feet. Elliott tries to knee him on the head on the way up, but Royval defends himself, so Elliott presses forward to drag the fight back down. Against the fence, Elliott is thudding a few knees to the legs while Royval tries to break free, and the newcomer pulls for a kimura sweep where he almost gets Elliott down. The former title challenger rolls with it, and gets on top, but Royval muscles his way back up. This does not stay standing for long, as a few kicks from Royval lead to Elliott racing forward to bully Royval against the fence. Elliott drags him down for a moment, but “Raw Dawg” walks up the fence. Elliott throws a few short knees while he has his man tied up, and Royval is forced to play defense until he can get a separation. They clash heads head on the break, and they back off. As Elliott charges forward for a takedown, he lowers his head and gets nailed with a spinning back fist. This does not bother him, as he pushes forward and makes Royval bounce off the wall. Landing a hard body kick, Elliott is practically sprinting at him to get the takedown. After he keeps fighting for the position, Elliott gets him down by standing up and pulling him down with his legs. They scramble for position, and Elliott pulls for an armbar that is unsuccessful. Royval tries to make him pay, and does so with a few powerful strikes after standing again. Elliott goes for one last takedown attempt, and Royval snatches up an armbar but time expires before he can land it.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Elliott
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Elliott

Round 2

The torrid pace from Elliott might have caught up with him already as he gasps for air between rounds, if veteran flyweights are capable of adrenaline dumps like this. Round 2 begins as Royval keeps his distance, lands a few strikes, and actually puts Elliott on his back. Royval calmly advances position, where he slices to half guard and then side control for a second. Elliott scrambles as Royval jumps for a guillotine choke, and Elliott is able to flip him over. Royval keeps the guillotine position while on his back, and is wide open for a Von Preux choke. Elliott considers maneuvering for that submission, but bails on it to stand up and get the fight where he wants it. Elliott quickly advances and hits his own takedown, where he briefly takes the back but is aiming for a choke. Elliott sets up a guillotine choke, and falls to his back while he is wrenching on the neck, but Royval pops his head out before he is in danger. “Raw Dawg” mounts him, and the frenetic Elliott flips him over and nearly gets on top before giving up his back. The two continue to roll around, and Royval winds up on top. The newcomer quickly hops over to side control, where he sets up a lightning-quick arm-triangle choke. Elliott, who may be exhausted, taps out, and Royval records a solid win his Octagon debut. Despite the impressive victory, a seemingly crestfallen Royval is in tears in his post-fight interview and expresses disappointment with his performance, all while lamenting that he has to go back to work tomorrow.

The Official Result

Brandon Royval def. Tim Elliott R2 3:18 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Klidson Abreu (206) vs. Jamahal Hill (205.5)

Round 1

Leaping up to the light heavyweight weight class, Brazil’s Abreu (15-4, 1-2 UFC) will try to become the first man to defeat Contender Series signee Hill (7-0, 1-0 UFC). The Octagon Ranger is referee Herb Dean, who checks the two in with a glove touch. Abreu comes out throwing, and Hill backs off and scores a low leg kick. A clean right hand from Hill plants the Brazilian on his backside, and Abreu hops back up and clinches up to land a few knees. Abreu shakes out the cobwebs for a moment before firing his own low kick. Hill barely misses with a left hook, but successfully sticks out a few jabs while avoiding a kick attempt. Hill swings with a left hand that partially connects, and wings a right that falls short. Hill jabs to the head and to the body a few times, before scoring with a straight left, a solid right and a brutal knee to the liver. Abreu folds like a flan in a cupboard, and Hill dives on top to rain down punches until Dean leaps in to stop the fight. “Sweet Dreams” is here, as the still undefeated fighter announces to the camera multiple times that he’s ready to start snappin' necks and cashin' checks.

The Official Result

Jamahal Hill def. Klidson Abreu R1 1:51 via TKO (Knee and Punches)

Gabriel Green (170.5) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (170)

Round 1

To the welterweight division we go, as Rodriguez (11-1, 1-0 UFC) tries to make short-notice replacement and newcomer Green (9-2, 0-0 UFC) feel unwelcome in the UFC cage. Referee Mark Smith is ready to watch over this matchup, and a glove touch commences the action. Green starts out firing with several crisp punches, and Rodriguez blocks most of them and sticks out his jab. Rodriguez keeps his jab flowing and eats a heavy leg kick, so it sits down on a straight left that partially lands. Rodriguez sneaks in a right hook after a jab, and the newcomer is able to roll with it and target the lead leg. A couple punches from Rodriguez make Green bounce off the fence, so Green gets frustrated and rips a low kick that lands with an audible thud. Green fires up a head kick, and grazes the chin of his opponent to no significant effect. As they start cracking, Green starts laughing. With a straight face, Rodriguez fires a clubbing body kick bat at him, and the power difference is stark as even when blocked, Rodriguez’ strikes have an impact that move Green backwards. Green tries to work his jab but he is well short of the mark, and gets jabbed to the body. Crashing forward to get some offense going, Green lands a few punches and gets clipped up top with a right hand. Rodriguez wings a few low kicks that make Green flinch, so Green throws some back at his opponent for good measure. When Green goes after a low calf kick, Rodriguez fires a bomb of a right hand at him and barely misses what could be a devastating blow. Rodriguez is loading up on shots, and Green is able to dance out of danger for the most part. Rodriguez catches him on the end of a right hook, and claps his left hand off the jaw to follow suit. Rodriguez fires up top with a high kick, and then switches to throw a low kick with his other leg. All the while, “D-Rod” is sporadically throwing a jab to keep his opponent away, and he keeps his distance enough to duck a big high kick. Rodriguez aims a few leg kicks low, and when the horn sounds, the two embrace. They still have two rounds left.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez

Round 2

The second round begins with Rodriguez nailing the lead leg and chaining a few punches together after it. Rodriguez rips to the body with a powerful kick, and Green appears excited as he starts swinging. The two trade over the course of a few exchanges, and Green backs off to reevaluate his options. Green steps in, tries to fire a jab, and Rodriguez ducks it and counters with a few shots effectively. A solid right hand from Green scores to the midsection, and he tries to keep the advancing Rodriguez away with some front kicks. Rodriguez again nails a kick low before blasting away with two punches. Green walks through them and starts swinging. Rodriguez racks him with a few more blistering hooks, and Green’s chin is holding up but he keeps taking them. The two abandon their defense and start trading furious leather, and Rodriguez ducks most of the telegraphed shots while landing a few of his own. They clinch up to catch their breath, and Rodriguez shoves off to get the jab going again. Green jabs a few times himself and throws head kicks with alternating legs, but neither land flush. A brief clinch leads to a separation, and Rodriguez cannot capitalize on the break but slugs it out from distance. The two trade jabs, and Green is starting to walk Rodriguez down and back him against the fence. They tie up for a moment, but Rodriguez muscles him around and tosses him away, before stinging him with a massive right hand. Green’s beard remains intact, and he is walking through hellacious shots with his hands practically by his waist. Like a zombie, Green marches forward all while getting tagged, but he manages to get a few punches off before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez

Round 3

The two men clap hands before they start firing. Green flicks out a left jab a few times, and rips the body with a kick that makes Rodriguez backpedal into the fence. Green chases him down to try to take advantage of it, and might have hurt Rodriguez with a shot. Rodriguez circles away from the fence and appears to be ok, and stuns the newcomer with a quick punch. Green aims at the body with a few kicks, and with his hands down, Rodriguez is able to counter with a thudding right hand that would knock out lesser men. Win or lose, Green has shown that even on a few days’ notice, he can hang in the UFC, as he rushes forward to land more punches and kicks to the body. Rodriguez stings him with a one-two, and Green ignores it while landing some solid shots to the body. Rodriguez is headhunting now, and Green’s defense has failed him as he eats practically all of them. Green is now marked up and bleeding, but still seems no worse for wear as he unloads a left hand that somehow catches Rodriguez unaware. Standing before one another, they slug it out some more, and Rodriguez is landing the more effective shots as he nearly puts Green down with a nasty one-two. The impact of that strike was loud, and Rodriguez follows it up with some punches while Green tries to go for an uppercut one would see in a “Mortal Kombat” game. Green’s pace is working against him, as he is starting to slow while Rodriguez is content to just touch him from a distance with jabs and not-full-strength strikes. “D-Rod” connects to the body and gives Green pause, but the debutant gathers his thoughts and bites down on his mouthpiece to throw heavy leather. When Green swings with reckless abandon, he puts himself off-balance, allowing for Rodriguez to hit an easy takedown. Rodriguez advances to north-south position before trying to circle back and take mount, but the fight ends before he can get there. Good show from both welterweights, especially accounting for the recent opponent change this week.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez (30-27 Rodriguez)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez (30-27 Rodriguez)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rodriguez (30-27 Rodriguez)

The Official Result

Daniel Rodriguez def. Gabriel Green via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Katlyn Chookagian (126) vs. Antonina Shevchenko (125.5)

Round 1

For the preliminary headliner, we shift gears to the women’s flyweight division, as recent title challenger Chookagian (13-3, 6-3 UFC) faces her last opponent’s sister, Shevchenko (8-1, 2-1 UFC). With this bout, Chookagian will join a small group of fighters to face siblings back-to-back. Referee Chris Tognoni is on the action for this contest. They touch gloves and immediately begin their kicking games. Chookagian paws out with her jab, and they kick at the same time. Quickly, Chookagian recovers and snags the leg, where she grabs a body lock and tosses Shevchenko to the canvas. The former title challenger takes her back and sinks in a rear-naked choke. Shevchenko survives the choke by staying patient, and Chookagian readjusts and latches on the choke in a different direction. Shevchenko muscles her way free, but she cannot get Chookagian off of her. “Blonde Fighter” stays tight, and wraps an arm under her chin once more to nearly secure the choke. She bails on it to not burn her arms out, and starts throwing punches while Shevchenko begins to flail to get free. Once more, Chookagian sets up a rear-naked choke attempt, and it is tight, but miraculously Shevchenko frees her neck. Chookagian sits up and stars raining down punches, so Shevchenko rolls to her back and gives up mount. Chookagian continues to pour it on, kiaiing as she drops down punches. Chookagian ties up the arm as she flattens Shevchenko out, and hammers down punch after punch. When Chookagian looks for another choke attempt, Shevchenko rolls and tries to escape out the back door, but she eats several punches in the process. Chookagian nearly falls off but repositions herself to cling to her opponent’s back. Shevchenko turns about and gets to a knee as she absorbs more punches and a few elbows now. After getting punished for the good part of four minutes, Shevchenko turns the position into a single leg attempt, so Chookagian pushes her away and lets the fight get back up. The round ends with a few distance strikes from Chookagian.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Chookagian
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Chookagian
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Chookagian

Round 2

The second round begins with an axe kick attempt from Shevchenko, thus allowing Chookagian to close the distance and tie her up against the fence. Chookagian stays tightly wrapped up with her, and doesn’t allow the kickboxer to get free as she pursues a body lock takedown. “Blonde Fighter” tosses her opponent down, and lands in mount with ease. Chookagian attempts to put a knee on her adversary’s right arm to tie her up and rain down shots, but backs up to not lose position. The strikes from Chookagian on top are short and without much sound, but they are slowly overwhelming and adding up. Shevchenko is trapped on her back, and is unable to do anything besides try to tie up Chookagian and not take punches flush on the face. When Shevchenko tries to turn, she gives up her back and allows Chookagian to batter her with punches. The American again begins to kiai when she throws her punches to add an additional impact to them, as she winds up a little more to put some more mustard on them. The only defense Shevchenko can offer is to wrap her arms around the women who has her mounted, but Chookagian postures up to drop down several more. Sensing she is doing more damage as the round continues, Chookagian sits up and hammers her with some nasty elbows. Chookagian continues to pour on punches, and Shevchenko survives to the next round but that is all she has done in this fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Chookagian
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Chookagian
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-8 Chookagian

Round 3

The final round begins with a few missed strikes from both women, as Shevchenko is staying away so she doesn’t get grabbed. A few right hands from Shevchenko score, and Chookagian rolls with the punches and walks forward with high kicks. “Pantera” comes back at her with three punches, and she lands with the last one as Chookagian walks through it. Her strikes are clean and powerful, and Chookagian throws some back at her but is not nearly as impactful. Another axe kick comes from Shevchenko, but this time Chookagian does not catch it and instead blocks it. They meet each other with left hands on the chin, but Shevchenko’s strikes are landing cleaner. In an exchange, Chookagian tags her with a left hand and briefly makes Shevchenko’s knees buckle, but the Kyrgyztani fighter recovers. After another short striking exchange, Chookagian decides she is tired of the standup and clinches up with her opponent against the wall. While Shevchenko defends a potential takedown, she absorbs a few knees to the midsection and a body kick on the break. Shevchenko fires a power jab, but there is only one, and Chookagian resets and lands her own kick. They both throw punches, and Shevchenko is connecting at a higher clip but is so far behind on the scorecards that she needs to do more. As she sits down on her punches, Chookagian closes in and hits a body lock trip takedown. Like the previous round, Chookagian lands in mount, and starts furiously swinging as if she were the one that was down in this fight. “Blonde Fighter” unleashes one final salvo until the final horn sounds to conclude this one-way drubbing.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (30-25 Chookagian)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (30-25 Chookagian)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Chookagian (30-25 Chookagian)

The Official Result

Katlyn Chookagian def. Antonina Shevchenko via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25) 

Hannah Cifers (115.5) vs. Mackenzie Dern (115.5)

Round 1

Flipping to the main card -- all these fights are on ESPN and simulcast on ESPN+ -- Cifers (10-4, 2-2 UFC) will try to stave off the rebounding Dern (7-1, 2-1 UFC), as the latter lost her first career bout her last time out. Our Octagon steward is referee Jason Herzog, and the two strawweights decide not to touch ‘em up before getting down to it. Cifers circles on the outside to jab and strike her way in, and Dern loads up with big hooks until they tie up. Cifers is ripping knees and punches like her hair is on fire, ripping some powerful knees to the body that make Dern wince. Cifers is tied up with her opponent and she is doing some damage with shots before shoving her away. Dern scores with an uppercut as Cifers tries to close the distance, so Cifers replies with a low kick and some punches that cause some marking to show up on the face of “Shockwave.” Cifers smiles at her for landing those strikes, and backs off to jab and weave. Two punches from Cifers score, and Dern blitzes after her to load up on shots. They come together, and Dern grabs hold of her like she has wanted to do this whole fight. They jockey for position, and Cifers slams her down and gets on top to rain down punches. Dern rolls calmly and sets up a leglock, forcing Cifers to stop attacking and protect herself. Dern turns into and locks up a kneebar, and Cifers tries to roll out of harm's way. The fighter from North Carolina tries to push off with her other heel, but Dern has the submission locked up. Cifers, in a bad spot, has no choice but to tap out. This may be the first leglock submission for any female fighter in UFC history.

The Official Result

Mackenzie Dern def. Hannah Cifers R1 2:36 via Submission (Kneebar)

Roosevelt Roberts (156) vs. Brok Weaver (157.5: Missed Weight)

Round 1

This bout is a catchweight contest at 157.5 pounds, as Weaver (15-4, 1-0 UFC) missed weight by 1.5 pounds before facing the enraged Roberts (9-1, 3-1 UFC). There is no love lost between these two even before the failed weight cut, so referee Herb Dean may have his hands full with this grudge match. They do not waste time touching gloves, and start slugging it out immediately. Weaver rushes towards him with looping strikes, and pushes Roberts against the fence. Roberts turns him about and breaks free, and lands a left hand while Weaver comes in. Weaver ignores it and crashes forward to initiate another clinch. While they are tied up, they are talking trash to one another, and Roberts spins out and briefly considers a takedown. They separate again, and Roberts cracks him with two punches and finishes the combination with an uppercut. Roberts follows after his retreating foe with a solid left hand, and then rips to the body with a looping right hook. Weaver has had enough getting pot shotted from a distance, and races forward to throw short punches and tie his opponent up once more. Roberts scores a solid one-two, and Weaver eats it like a sandwich and blocks a high kick that flies his way right after. Roberts backs off, fires a body kick and then a quick jab, before taunting his opponent. Weaver is fired up, and charges at him like a bull with big hooks but again just settles on clamping Roberts to the cage wall. Roberts thwarts a trip takedown attempt, foils another try when Weaver changes levels, and breaks himself free. “The Predator” sticks him with a right hand and then a low kick, before just missing with a huge left-right. The gameplan for Weaver returns, as he ducks down to press Roberts against the fence, and like several other times, Roberts escapes. Roberts just barely misses a huge right hand, and goes after a takedown of his own, but he doesn’t land it as they move across the fence. Roberts pulls for a guillotine choke and it is instantly tight, so Weaver defends by turning himself all the way around and avoids getting slammed to the canvas. The round ends when Weaver gets back up, and they show each other some respect after the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Roberts
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Roberts

Round 2

They come out swinging like the last round, and Roberts clips him on the way in and they close the distance for a moment. As Roberts gets himself free for a moment, Weaver comes right back with more of that grinding offense. Weaver backs away to swing and miss four times, and he avoids a counter from Roberts but clinches him up. Like several times before, Roberts spins around in the clinch, and he gives up his neck but is unconcerned about a potential choke attempt. Roberts starts putting on the pressure this time, landing a few knees and leaning his full weight on his opponent before backing off. Roberts resets, and dives in to hit a takedown. Weaver leaves his own neck out and Roberts tries to latch on to it, but he pulls his head out. “Chata Tuska” rolls a few times to scramble and get out of a bad position but it keeps getting worse, briefly giving up back control and side mount. Roberts winds up on top and pursues a brabo choke, and as soon as Weaver defends it, Roberts smartly steps over into mount. Weaver turns away to get out, but Roberts is on him like glue and cinches up a rear-naked choke. Weaver manages to defend by grabbing the fence, so Roberts sits up and starts to rain down some clubbing shots. The fighter from Alabama tries to do anything he can to get free, but in the process he surrenders his neck once more. From the other side, "The Predator" locks up a rear-naked choke, and it’s all she wrote. Weaver briefly appears to consider going out, because there is no way he can get free, but taps with his fingertips to end the fight. With the fight concluded, Roberts makes sure to clear the air between the two, and makes certain that his fallen foe knows that the fake Twitter account in his name was just that.

The Official Result

Roosevelt Roberts def. Brok Weaver R2 3:26 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Spike Carlyle (150) vs. Billy Quarantillo (149.5)

Round 1

Up next at a scheduled 150-pound catchweight, the entertaining “Alpha Ginger” Carlyle (9-1, 1-0 UFC) will come to blows with TUF 22 vet Quarantillo (13-2, 1-0 UFC). The third man inside the Octagon is referee Mark Smith, and there is no touch of gloves as these two want to get right to it. Carlyle leaps out of his corner and boots Quarantillo square in the face, like Fabricio Werdum does every so often. The offense from Carlyle is insane, as Quarantillo falls over and briefly gives up his back. “Alpha Ginger” stays heavy while he has Quarantillo down, and Quarantillo rolls over to give up his back again. Carlyle gets a hook in and thinks about setting up an armbar, but Quarantillo turns out and gives up his back again. Carlyle pursues a rear-naked choke, but bails on it to lands some heavy punches on top. Carlyle slides into mount and starts blasting down elbows. Quarantillo uses the momentum against him to get on top, and Carlyle throws his legs up and nearly hits an armbar. Quarantillo stays composed and gets on top, where he resides in the full guard of his opponent. The fighter who fellow editor Ben Duffy now refers to as “a ginger Diego Sanchez” has given up his back now as he tries to get out of a bad spot, and nearly walks up the cage before powering out to get on top. Even though Quarantillo had a full body lock, Carlyle somehow turned into it to get on top. Quarantillo throws up his left leg to flirt with an omoplata setup, but as Carlyle shrugs it off, he lets his leg go. Quarantillo is throwing from his back, and almost gets back to his feet before Carlyle drags him back down. The two begin to scramble wildly, and Quarantillo rolls for an armbar and nearly a kneebar all while Carlyle rains down ferocious offense. Carlyle stands up and strolls away, thinking the round is over. With seconds still remaining on the clock, Quarantillo rushes at him and drops him with a quick left hand, and Carlyle falls to the cage in a shocked heap. The round ends before Quarantillo can get a finish, but what a turn of events.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlyle
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Carlyle
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlyle

Round 2

Unsurprisingly, the second round begins kind of like the first, with both throwing unnecessarily reckless strikes. Carlyle stagers him with an elbow, and then tries to spin, and as he does, Quarantillo hits a takedown. When the fight hits the ground, they are in constant motion as Carlyle fights his way on top by once again turning through a body lock. On top, Carlyle stays heavy as Quarantillo walks up the fence, so as he ducks down to hit a double leg takedown, Quarantillo grabs his neck. The explosive offense of Carlyle has taken it out of him already, less than two minute into the second round, and his attack wanes while “Alpha Ginger” tries to catch his breath. Quarantillo uses the time to spin around, and walks up the cage but allows Carlyle to hop on to his back. Quarantillo nearly escapes out the back door, but the body lock for Carlyle is tight enough to keep him as a backpack. Quarantillo manages to fight his way back up, and starts grinding Carlyle against the fence before blasting him in the torso with a loud knee. Quarantillo hits a quick takedown, and Carlyle powers his way out back to standing, where they are tied up against the fence. They separate, and we can see the fatigue for Carlyle has caught up to him. Quarantillo kicks, and Carlyle catches it to drag him down somehow. Carlyle gets a little careless and falls into a triangle choke, and Quarantillo sinks it in as Carlyle muscles his way out. Quarantillo searches for it one more time, and again Carlyle survives. Round 2 concludes with a few exhausted punches on top from Carlyle.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlyle
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Carlyle
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlyle

Round 3

Carlyle charges out from his corner like a wild man, and grabs hold of his opponent and pushes him against the fence. Quarantillo uses that momentum to his advantage, and leverages Carlyle down to the ground. Carlyle manages once more to burst his way out of the bad position, where he takes Quarantillo’s back for a moment. Quarantillo bucks him off and ends up on top, and he begins to rain down heavy punches. Carlyle turns and gives his back up, allowing Quarantillo to lock up a rear-naked choke that turns into a side-naked choke as a relentless Carlyle wriggles his way out of danger and gets on top. In full guard now, Carlyle tries to get off some strikes but Quarantillo throws his legs up for a brief triangle attempt. “Alpha Ginger” backs off, which lets Quarantillo kick him in the chest to get some space. Quarantillo walks up the fence, and Carlyle is back at him and latched on like an Alabama tick. The two jockey for position wildly, and Quarantillo gets his opponent’s back but cannot get a choke as Carlyle holds two-on-one wrist control. Quarantillo breaks the grip and fishes for a rear-naked choke, with both hooks in. Carlyle turns to his belly to roll out of the position, and nearly gives up another rear-naked choke. “Alpha Ginger” miraculously powers his way out, and the two separate and take deep breaths. In one last surge of incredible offense, the two stand in front of one another and launch unbelievable bombs. They both hurt one another in a torrid exchange, and Carlyle bounces off the fence but fires right back at his adversary. They swing right until time expires, and what a wild and crazy fight this turned out to be.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Quarantillo (29-28 Carlyle)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Quarantillo (29-28 Carlyle)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Quarantillo (29-28 Carlyle)

The Official Result

Billy Quarantillo def. Spike Carlyle via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Blagoy Ivanov (255.5) vs. Augusto Sakai (259.5)

Round 1

On the lone heavyweight fight of the night, the seemingly indestructible Bulgarian Ivanov (18-3, 1 NC; 2-2 UFC) will lock horns with the heavy-handed Sakai (14-1-1, 3-0 UFC). What happens when a nearly unstoppable force meets a somewhat immovable object? Like referee Jason Herzog, we will find out very soon. They cautious come together to touch gloves, and Sakai starts on his bike to find an angle to get in on the Bulgarian. Ivanov stays in the center of the cage, and blocks a front kick his way all while avoiding a jab. Ivanov paws out his own light jab, but neither man are committing on any strikes as they both know each man has power. The Brazilian whips a quick low kick that Ivanov does not see coming, and Ivanov is corking back a left hand but is not throwing it yet. Another low kick from Sakai scores on the outside, and Ivanov stays patient until racing forward to swing a looping right hand that glances off the forehead of his opponent. Ivanov rushes in to land another few punches, and Sakai returns fire with a hard leg kick. Ivanov’s offense right now, with his reach disadvantage, is to jump forward in a burst and dart away before getting countered. It has shown to be somewhat effective, and Ivanov changes things up with a solid left to the body. The Brazilian comes back with another low kick, and Ivanov is stalking him down and lands a hard right. Ivanov closes the distance and narrowly evades a right hand whizzing by his head before clinching up. On the break, the Bulgarian partially connects with a left hand, but he does not get far enough away as he takes a kick to the chest. Ivanov’s pressure is making Sakai back into the fence, and “Baga” lowers his head and rushes in to land some short shots. Sakai shoves him away and scores a body kick, and just over four minutes into the first round, the commentary crew finally mentions the life-threatening injury that Ivanov sustained in his past. The two come together and try to swing heavy, but they close the distance too fast to connect with hooks. Sakai pushes off and lands one last low kick before the time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ivanov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ivanov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ivanov

Round 2

They touch gloves to commence the second stanza, and Ivanov launches a big left land. Sakai commits to a low kick, and Ivanov nails him in the body. Another kick comes from Sakai, and Ivanov counters with a right. They continue to go tit-for-tat, with the Brazilian adding up on kicks while Ivanov looks to drill him with looping shots. Ivanov ducks down and throws a couple of big winging punches that do not do much damage, and as Sakai tries to kick at him, they come together against the fence. Sakai mashes him up against the cage wall, so Ivanov sneaks up a right hand that Sakai does not like, and the Brazilian pushes him away. Ivanov telegraphs a huge left hand that he throws everything in including a shout, and Sakai dances out of the way in time. Sakai works the lead leg with a few more kicks, and Ivanov nails him with a right hand that pops his head back. The Brazilian is unconcerned, as he plants a loud body kick on his opponent and they tie up once more. Ivanov tries to throw in a flurry, but Sakai keeps his weight on him until breaking free. As Ivanov lowers his guard to back off, Sakai smacks him with a back fist that is louder than it is effective. Ivanov is starting to show signs of fatigue, as his arms get loose after he wings punches. The leg kicks from Sakai continue to do damage, and Ivanov may be limping now as he tries to keep a stiff upper lip. A right hand from Ivanov does not have quite the sting on it that it did before, and Sakai smiles at him. As they come together, Ivanov powers into a takedown and gets the Brazilian on his back. In half guard, Ivanov drops down a couple elbows and avoids shots coming his direction. Ivanov tries to throw a few more punches, and Sakai kicks him off as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sakai
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sakai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sakai

Round 3

This last round sees the two heavyweights plod out towards one another, so Sakai begins with a front kick. Ivanov tries to hurt him with punches, and Sakai rolls with them and pops him with a kick to the midsection. Sakai dings him with another leg kick, and Ivanov unsuccessfully lands a counter right hand. Sakai jabs and then follows it with a right hand, and as he throws a leg kick, Ivanov is prepared to throw a right hand at him. A cut that may have opened the previous round has opened once again, and there is bleeding on the nose of the Brazilian. Sakai leaps in the air with a flying knee, and Ivanov absorbs it while trying to throw long looping punches back at him. Ivanov walks him down with windmilling punches, and Sakai sees them coming from a great distance and avoids the harm. Sakai barely misses a high kick, and Ivanov is able to make him pay with a quick straight right. The Bulgarian strings together a two-punch combination, and tries to follow it by rushing in to land more but gets tied up. Sakai walks him to the fence, and lifts up a knee to the body. Ivanov tries to hip toss him, and Sakai illegally yanks on the fence to remain on his feet. Herzog warns him but does not award position or take a point, and the action resumes. The two continue their chain of attacks, as Ivanov is headhunting while Sakai lands a few body kicks and low kicks. A cut has opened up under the Bulgarian’s right eye, and “Baga” is unconcerned as he walks down his opponent and throws bombs. Sakai dodges every single one, and lifts his head up as if to celebrate, and gets nailed with a left hand that stands him up. Sakai shakes it out and circles away, but Ivanov’s pressure is giving him some issues. Sakai scores one last body kick until Ivanov comes forward to try to slug it out. The round ends in the clinch, and it could be a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ivanov (29-28 Ivanov)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sakai (29-28 Sakai)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sakai (29-28 Sakai)

The Official Result

Augusto Sakai def. Blagoy Ivanov via Split Decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)

Tyron Woodley (170.5) vs. Gilbert Burns (170.5)

Round 1

We have now reached the main event of the evening, in a pivotal welterweight pairing between ex-champ Woodley (19-4-1, 9-3-1 UFC) and the surging heavy-handed grappler Burns (18-3, 11-3 UFC). Since Woodley last competed, Burns has fought and won four times. This headliner will be officiated by referee Herb Dean, and a respectful glove touch commences the last fight of the night. Burns comes out energized, hopping around and avoiding long punches and a looping left hand from his opponent. Burns starts off with a low kick, and evades a counter left hand. They come together, and Burns nails Woodley with powerful uppercuts and short hooks. Woodley is stunned, and Burns bulldozes him over and puts Woodley down. The Brazilian chases after him and starts unloading furious punches, and steps over into mount while Woodley is still trying to clear his head out. Burns thinks to go for a submission, but opts to drop some left hands down. Woodley’s forehead is cut, and he sits up to put his neck in guillotine choke danger. Woodley calmly lays back down to get free from the threat, and Burns slices an elbow down. Burns remains heavy while trying to find an avenue to deal some damage, and Woodley is holding him tight. Burns postures up to rain down punishment, and Woodley uses that exact moment to burst out and get back to his feet. Burns takes the center of the cage and digs to the body with a kick. The left side of Woodley’s face is covered in blood, but the former champ is not afraid as he tries to throw a big left hand. Burns catches him on the way in with a low kick. Woodley tries to sticks out a left, and Burns fires a low kick that makes Woodley nod in acknowledgement. Burns hits him in the body with a kick, and clips Woodley with a left hand that makes Woodley clap his hands in frustration or to motivate himself. The round ends with a bloodied Woodley blinking his eye out.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Burns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Burns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Burns

Round 2

With a solid cut on his head that has been patched well, Woodley is amped up and stings Burns with a right hand. Burns shakes it off and comes back to engage, only to get drilled on the side of the head once more with a solid right. Burns kicks low, and Woodley circles around the outside to reset. Burns goes up high with a kick, and Woodley’s offense has paused as he briefly reaches out his left hand to find distance. Burns stays loose on the outside, with kicks and the occasional jab while Woodley only reacts. Burns loads up on a huge right hand, and Woodley dives out of the way to avoid the blow. Burns crashes forward, and unexpectedly hits a double leg takedown -- Woodley’s takedown defense rate is historically high -- to plant Woodley on his back. Woodley tries to walk up the fence, and gets on knee but takes a knee to the torso. Burns tries to wrench him back down, so Woodley fights hands and takes a few stiff punches to get back standing again. Woodley turns around and lifts up a high knee, so Burns returns fire with a similar strike. Burns sneaks in a few short shots, and Woodley is only concerned with getting position back. Woodley grinds him against the fence for the waning seconds of the round, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Burns

Round 3

Woodley begins the third frame with a few jabs to keep Burns off of him, as Burns is advancing aggressively. Woodley is not following his jabs with any strikes, and only uses fakes after sticking his left hand out repeatedly. Burns commits to a low kick, and Woodley counters over the top with a straight right. Burns walks through it as if it never happened, and is hopping towards his opponent while blocking a few punches coming his direction. Burns fires a big right hook and hurts Woodley, but the former champ recovers well and returns fire with a right of his own. Burns drops his hands almost as if to taunt Woodley, and Woodley does not take advantage of it so Burns cracks him again. Woodley throws a big looping hook that lands on the shoulder, and Burns gives him a smirk. Burns aims for the body with a kick and a long jab, and the single strikes for the Brazilian are picking away at his adversary. Burns jumps forward with a kick and falls over, but “The Chosen One” perhaps wisely does not follow him down to the ground. Burns throws a left straight followed by a huge right hook, and Burns barely avoided it. “Durinho” tags the leg with a kick, and Woodley puts on a brave face but that kick did some damage. Burns is keeping Woodley with his back against the fence and he does not throw much offense going backwards. Burns digs to the body with another kick, and he ducks away while Woodley slings a right towards him. Burns works a few more low kicks, and Woodley is practically standing in front of him waiting to get too close so he can counter with a thudding right. Burns does not fall for the trap, and lands one last kick low to conclude the round. The Brazilian is so fired up that he is likely winning the fight that security practically drags him back to his corner after the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Burns

Round 4

The tentative nature of Woodley continues in the fourth, as Burns lands a left hook on him while not getting countered. Woodley ducks down to try to take the fight down, and Burns holds him up but gets shoved to the fence. After some grueling clinch work, Burns turns him around and lands a few knees and an “old school” foot stomp. Dean separates the two after some inaction, and Woodley celebrates the break with a big right hand that is blocked. Burns comes back firing, and lands a few sharp jabs that make Woodley clap again. A kick from Burns is caught, and Woodley tries to run the pipe and get him down but Burns hops away out of danger. Burns advances forward to get Woodley to bite on feints and fakes, and connects with a blistering right hook that nearly puts Woodley down. A follow-up right from “Durinho” lands on the side of the former champ’s head, and Woodley pursues a desperation takedown that is fruitless. After a clinch exchange, Burns is the one that pulls his man down again. Woodley is stuck on his back, while Burns gets in half guard and drops down some short punches. Burns steps over into mount and rolls into a potential choke, allowing Woodley to roll free and nearly end up on top. Burns pushes away, and when the round ends, we can see there is a massive cut on Woodley’s eyebrow.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Burns
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Burns

Round 5

Burns opens up with a kick, and Woodley counters with an overhand left that sends Burns off-balance. Burns shoots in low for a double, and transitions to a single as Woodley sprawls against the fence to defend it. Burns leans heavily to drain precious seconds off the clock, and Woodley tries with all his might to spin out but is stuck. Woodley manages to finally turn his man around, but the minor victory lasts about five seconds before Burns regains position. The Brazilian tries to tie up the legs and hit a trip, but Woodley is wise to it and spins him around again. Burns signals to Dean that Woodley is not doing anything with the position, and Dean calls for the two to work. Burns punches around the back of Woodley’s head until they break. Burns marches forward with two left hands, and scores a leg kick. Woodley unleashes a ferocious counter right, and Burns ducks it and smiles. Woodley catches him on the way in with a left, and Burns is caught upright but eats it like a sandwich. “Durinho” lands a body kick as he pecks away while time is just streaming off the clock. Less than 90 seconds remain and Woodley is still with his back to the cage, not throwing much. They tie up, and Woodley presses on him while Burns once again protests. Even though he is almost certainly up on every round, Burns is the fighter that wants to continue throwing leather. Burns fires body kicks and looping right hands, and he still wants a finish even though he could easily cruise to victory. Woodley lands a counter left along with a right that gets blocked, and the horn sounds to end a fight that is totally one-way traffic. We have a new title contender at welterweight, ladies and gentlemen. See you next week!

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Burns (50-44 Burns)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Burns (50-44 Burns)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Burns (50-45 Burns)

The Official Result

Gilbert Burns def. Tyron Woodley via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44)