Tag: UFC on ESPN 9

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Gilbert Burns after UFC on ESPN 9 win?


See whom Gilbert Burns should fight next after his dominant victory over Tyron Woodley at UFC on ESPN 9.

(Also see: What’s next for Tyron Woodley after UFC on ESPN 9 loss?)

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] broke through to the next echelon of welterweight contenders Saturday when he thoroughly outworked Tyron Woodley in the UFC on ESPN 9 main event.

Burns (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) handily beat former UFC champ Woodley (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in the event headliner, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was by far the biggest win of his career, and now the Brazilian gets a serious look as a title threat.

“Durinho” is undefeated in his career when fighting at 170 pounds, and he only continues to beat bigger and better opponents as he goes on. He called for a title shot after topping Woodley, but will he get it next?

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There are numerous options in the cards for Burns, including a showdown with fellow top contender [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC).

Is that the best matchmaking option for Burns going forward, though? Watch the video above for full thoughts and analysis on what’s next for Burns.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Tyron Woodley after UFC on ESPN 9 loss?

See whom former champ Tyron Woodley should fight next after his loss to Gilbert Burns at UFC on ESPN 9.

(Also see: What’s next for Gilbert Burns after UFC on ESPN 9 win?)

[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] is facing uncharted waters after suffering a lopsided loss to Gilbert Burns on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 9.

After losing the UFC welterweight title to Kamaru Usman in March 2019, Woodley (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) returned to the octagon in the event headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He lost a unanimous decision to Burns (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in the fight, and now is on the first two-fight skid of his prestigious career.

At 38 and having lost 10 consecutive rounds over his past two fights, there are some unavoidable questions coming at Woodley in regard to his future. He displayed a positive attitude on social media after the fight, but what should come next?

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Woodley is still very much one of the best 170-pound fighters in the world, and he still has good options for his future, such as a grudge match with rival [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC).

Will that fight happen for Woodley next, though? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after losing to Burns.

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Katlyn Chookagian’s dominance over Antonina Shevchenko doesn’t have her presuming title rematch

Take a look inside Katlyn Chookagian’s win over Antonina Shevchenko at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] beat Antonina Shevchenko with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Chookagian, who got back on track after a flyweight title fight loss to Shevchenko’s sister, champ Valentina Shevchenko.

Result: Katlyn Chookagian def. Antonina Shevchenko via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)
Updated records: Chookagian (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Shevchenko (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Key stat: Chookagian outstruck Shevchenko 202-34 and landed nearly 80 percent of her total strikes.

Chookagian on the fight’s key moment

“There was one point I thought (the choke) was in a little bit because of the noises she was making, but I never felt like I was completely locked under – her hand was in with the glove. I just had to trust the technique and know it’s not 100 percent there and I just had to move on.”

Chookagian on improvements

“It feels really good. I don’t think I’ve gotten better since my last fight. I’ve always had this ability. It’s just being confident and doing it. I think the people that are closest with me know that this is what I am capable of. So just seeing, that I’m not surprised because I know I can do that, but being able to finally showcase it in the octagon is a really good feeling.”

Chookagian on what she wants next

“I just want to keep fighting. Obviously, I want to fight for the title again – otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing this. I understand I just lost (a title fight) and there are a couple other girls that will get their opportunity. It’s not like it was a close fight with me and (women’s flyweight champion) Valentina (Shevchenko). I understand that. I just want to keep getting fights. I don’t care where they’re ranked.”

To hear more from Chookagian, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 9: Tyron Woodley’s tailspin and a Gilbert Burns title shot

Breaking down the key storylines to come out of UFC on ESPN 9, which saw Gilbert Burns dominate Tyron Woodley in the main event.

What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. Can Gilbert Burns slide into a title shot?

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] had his breakout moment when he put on a five-round clinic against former longtime UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley. If you weren’t taking him seriously as a contender before, it’s time to correct that now.

Burns called for a title shot against good friend and teammate Kamaru Usman after beating up Woodley, and while his moxy is commendable, he’s not the guy who should be fighting for the belt next. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t be.

Welterweight is in a tricky place right now. There’s some real negotiating issues in getting a Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal title fight over the finish line, and the UFC’s patience is beginning to wear thin. Leon Edwards would seemingly be the next most deserving after Masvidal, but travel restrictions amidst the coronavirus pandemic might rule him out of the equation, too.

That could very much open the door for Burns, who has been nothing short of brilliant in the octagon in recent years. He’s not the obvious No. 1 contender, but the Brazilian could be a benefactor of circumstance after dominating Woodley.

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UFC on ESPN 9 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Las Vegas

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time. How did the two newcomers perform Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For two athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression they made on the sport’s biggest stage from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Brandon Royval

Division: Flyweight
Result: Brandon Royval def. Tim Elliott via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:18
Record: 11-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC
Grade: B+

Denver flyweight [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] was handed a tough task for his UFC debut, but the former LFA flyweight champion passed the test with flying colors with an impressive submission finish.

Royval’s second-round arm-triangle finish of flyweight veteran Tim Elliott was one of the night’s outstanding performances at UFC on ESPN 9 as he earned a win on his octagon debut over ranked opposition and bagged a cool $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process.

UFC veteran Elliott has shared the octagon with some of the division’s best over his previous 13 fights for the promotion, and his ability to take the fight to the mat certainly gave Royval problems early on. But, the debutant showed excellent composure as he worked his way into the fight, then used Elliott’s aggression against him to score an impressive submission win.

Despite being forced to fight off the back foot, and his back, in the opening five minutes Royval showed that he’s dangerous in the scrambles as he threatened with a Kimura, then an armbar, during an action-packed first round. And when the action got underway in Round 2, Royval turned the tables and enjoyed some top-position pressure of his own.

At times Royval over-committed with his strikes as he attempted to establish his stand-up game, but despite being punished with another Elliott takedown midway through the round, the debutant once again showed his scrambling ability as turned the tables on Elliott and locked up an arm-triangle choke to force the tap.

Royval showed great composure under duress, impressive cardio against a relentless opponent and the grappling smarts to create a submission opening, then finish it. There’s some room for improvement – we didn’t see the best of his striking game –  but against such a high-octane opponent, Royval showed plenty to suggest that he’ll pose a serious threat at 125 pounds.

He also gave a hint that there’s much more to come, too. Royval was close to tears with disappointment as he spoke to Daniel Cormier after the fight. To be that disappointed after finishing the No. 11-ranked contender on his debut shows that he’s set sky-high standards for himself. If he comes closer to meeting them in his next few performances, we could soon see him right up there at the sharp end of the division.

Next up: All-action welterweight has plenty of upside, despite defeat

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Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN 9 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Gilbert Burns and Roosevelt Roberts were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

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First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …

Chris Gutierrez

Wants to fight: [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] or [autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]

Andre Ewell

The callout: “I would like to fight either Andre Ewell – I don’t know, he’s got a little injury – or Miles Johns. So either one of those two. I’m with it.”

The reality: After an impressive display to kick off the card at the UFC Apex, [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] sought out the matchmakers cageside, and explained who he wanted next in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.

On paper, at least, the two names he mentioned seem like well-pitched suggestions. Ewell has won three of five in the UFC since 2018, while Johns is 1-1 in the octagon and looking to bounce back after defeat in his last appearance. Ewell would put Gutierrez in with a longer-tenured UFC fighter, with more wins to their name, so would perhaps offer the larger upside for “El Guapo,” but the chance for the former LFA bantamweight to face the man who captured the promotion’s 135-pound belt also offers some intrigue. Either name would make for a solid next assignment.

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Next up: Lightweight prospect wants to revisit canceled booking

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UFC on ESPN 9 post-event facts: Mackenzie Dern makes history

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 9, which saw Gilbert Burns beat Tyron Wooley in Las Vegas.

The UFC returns to Las Vegas for the first time in more than two months on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 9, which took place at the UFC Apex with an 11-fight card that aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

In the main event, [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) had his breakthrough moment as a welterweight contender when he overwhelmed and dominated former longtime champion [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) to a unanimous decision.

The performance from the Brazilian capped off a notable event. For more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 9.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $114,500.

Debuting fighters went 1-1 at the event.

Burns, [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] and [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 9 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN 9 drew an announced attendance of 0 for a live gate of $0.

Betting favorites went 8-3 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 6-6 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 1:58:41.

Main card

Burns improved to 4-0 since he returned to the welterweight division in August 2019. He’s 5-0 when fighting at the weight class.

Burns’ five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Kamaru Usman (11), Leon Edwards (eight) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (seven).

Woodley suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2018.

Woodley has suffered all four of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Augusto Sakai[/autotag]’s (15-1-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied with Francis Ngannou for the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Blagoy Ivanov[/autotag] (18-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Spike Carlyle[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Brok Weaver[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered his first submission loss since Dec. 5, 2014 – a span of 2,003 days (more than five years) and 13 fights.

Dern (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) became the first female in UFC history to earn a submission victory with a leg technique.

[autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag] (10-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered all four of her UFC losses by stoppage.

Preliminary card

[autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) improved to 5-2 since she dropped to the UFC flyweight division in January 2018.

Chookagian’s five victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Valentina Shevchenko for most in divisional history.

Chookagian has earned 11 of her 14 career victories by decision. That includes all seven of her UFC wins.

[autotag]Antonina Shevchenko[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of her career losses by decision.

[autotag]Gabe Green[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all of his career stoppage victories by knockout.

[autotag]Klidson Abreu[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by knockout.

Elliott’s (15-11-1 MMA, 4-9 UFC) three-fight losing skid is tied for the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since December 2017.

Elliott fell to 2-5 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in December 2016.

Elliott has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by submission.

[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has earned 10 of his 11 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Louis Smolka[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) fell to 2-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in November 2018.

Smolka fell to 2-2 since he moved up to the UFC bantamweight division in November 2018.

Smolka has suffered all three of his career stoppage losses by submission.

[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] (15-4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) earned the 11th finish in UFC history stemming from leg kicks.

[autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) fell to 2-4 in his past six fights dating back to July 2018.

Morales suffered the first knockout loss of his career..

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

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Mackenzie Dern happy to make UFC history, but ultimate goal is to become mom champ

It’s nice to make history, but Mackenzie Dern wants to become champion.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] is happy to have made history Saturday, but her main goal goes beyond that.

Dern (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) scored the first leg submission in women’s UFC history to open the main card of UFC on ESPN 9 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The jiu-jitsu standout caught Hannah Cifers in a kneebar midway through the first round of their strawweight contest after ending up on bottom in a scramble with Cifers.

Despite getting a first-round finish, it was a rough fight for Dern since Cifers lived up to her toughness.

“I’m so happy with my performance. I knew that Hannah wasn’t an easy girl,” Dern said in her post-fight news conference. “She’s so tough and I didn’t want to get too much in the clinch with her and be in a brawling situation. So when I was in the clinch, I knew I was going to feel her strength and her muscles. As soon I was able to get the takedown, even though I was on bottom, the coaches said, ‘Don’t pull guard. If you’re on the bottom that’s fine, but don’t pull guard.’ So I got the takedown, went on bottom, and I was happy she wasn’t defending the leg much.

“That’s one of my specialties. I like leg locks a lot. You can look on YouTube – a lot of my jiu-jitsu matches are with that. So I was at home at that moment.”

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Dern is happy to have made history in the jiu-jitsu department in the UFC, but her goal remains to be champ one day.

“What makes it good is that it was a leg lock, and the first in women’s history. But I think once I get the mom’s belt and become mom champ, then that would be, ‘OK, now it’s a big difference.'”

With her husband home most of the time with their daughter since his professional surfing events have been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, Dern wants to take advantage of the extra hands and focus on a quick return to the octagon.

“I definitely want to take advantage that his events are off and can stay with my daughter, and (I can) train hard and fight on ‘Fight Island’ or wherever the next fight is and get the win streak gong.”

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