The bouts are signed and the commission paperwork has been rubber-stamped. The UFC is officially back in business in Las Vegas with Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 marking the promotion’s return to its home city.
With the sporting world tentatively looking to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC Apex will form the home of the UFC’s upcoming hometown events for the foreseeable future, with the purpose-built fight facility taking center stage with its maiden UFC-branded fight card.
UFC on ESPN 9 features a pivotal bout for the promotion’s welterweight division, with former undisputed champion Tyron Woodley making his return after his title loss to Kamaru Usman. “The Chosen One” will look to reassert hit championship credentials against surging Brazilian contender Gilbert Burns in the night’s main event.
Also set to feature on the card is a heavyweight battle, as rising prospect Augusto Sakai takes on the teak-tough Bulgarian veteran Blagoy Ivanov. There’s also a fascinating clash in the women’s flyweight division, as former title challenger Katlyn Chookagian looks to bounce back with victory over Antonina Shevchenko after falling short in her title shot against Shevchenko’s flyweight champion sister, Valentina.
UFC on ESPN 9 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
So, without further ado, here are seven burning questions heading into fight night.
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How will Tyron Woodley look after his long layoff?
After almost 15 months away from the cage, Tyron Woodley is stepping back into the octagon, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how he performs. “The Chosen One” was on his way to being considered as one of the best welterweight champions in UFC history, but that title reign was abruptly halted by Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 in March 2019.
Woodley (19-4-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) didn’t look his usual self during his one-sided decision loss to Usman and he’s been away from the cage ever since. We know he’ll be super-motivated to get back to winning ways and position himself for another shot at gold, but there are many questions to be answered in his display this weekend.
How will the long layoff affect his performance, particularly early, in his fight with the dangerous Gilbert Burns on Saturday night? What tweaks and changes has he made to his game? And can he step straight back in and halt an in-form, surging contender like Burns, who possesses fight-ending knockout power to go along with his world-class grappling credentials?
On top form and fighting aggressively, Woodley is a serious problem for everyone else at 170, but during his title reign we saw him fall into a very defensive approach at times, and he eventually lost his belt. Will we see Woodley go on the offensive again to deliver a statement?
He’ll be in shape – he always is – but his sharpness, and his fighting mentality, will be fascinating to watch on fight night.
Next up: Brazilian contender gets his shot at big-name opposition
Can Gilbert Burns rise to the occasion?
I’d put Gilbert Burns in the same category occupied by Brit Leon Edwards and, previously, by current welterweight champ Kamaru Usman. All three have been fighters with elite-level talent, but perhaps without the big-name upside that makes them a worthwhile risk for higher-ranked fighters. It’s meant all three men have had to do the hard yards to get to the sharp end of the 170-pound division, with their results and performances doing the talking for them.
Burns’ submission skills are good enough to put away just about anyone in the division, but his evolving striking skills now make him a legitimate threat wherever the fight goes. He fell in love with his hands a little a few fights back and ended up getting punished by Dan Hooker, but since then has found a happy balance that has seen him reel off a string of impressive victories.
Now, after pushing hard to land himself a big fish, Burns (18-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) has a monster on the hook. Former champ Woodley is one of the division’s undoubted A-listers, and is one of the most dominant welterweight champions in UFC history. If Burns can do a demolition job on “The Chosen One” all bets are off on the Brazilian being thrown into the title mix at 170.
The big question is can “Durinho” deliver in the biggest fight of his career so far?
Next up: A heavyweight prospect with his eyes on the division’s big names
Can Augusto Sakai claim a statement win over battle-tested Blagoy Ivanov?
Augusto Sakai may not be the most well-known heavyweight in the UFC, but if he can pick up a big win Saturday in Las Vegas, people will be forced to sit up and take notice.
Since earning his spot on the UFC roster with a win on Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil, Sakai (14-1-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has won three in a row as a UFC heavyweight, notching victories over Chase Sherman, former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and Marcin Tybura. Those wins have earned him a shot against seasoned veteran Blagoy Ivanov at UFC on ESPN 9.
If Sakai can produce another impressive performance to defeat Ivanov (18-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), a big-name opponent will surely be next. But can he find his way past the durable Bulgarian on Saturday?
Next up: Dueling Contender Series 155ers get set to throw down
Which Contender Series lightweight will shine in his UFC Apex return?
Two lightweight graduates from Dana White’s Contender Series return to the UFC Apex looking to score a big win.
Roosevelt Roberts has fought four times since earning his deal in July 2018, and has looked good in his three wins under the UFC banner. Brok Weaver, meanwhile, has fought just once, with his disqualification win over Rodrigo Vargas leaving him disappointed and leaving fans without the chance to see the exciting Alabama native’s come-forward fighting style.
The style matchup between the pair should make for an exciting bout while the mental approach of both men could serve to accentuate their skills on fight night. Slick technician Roberts (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is the man with momentum and the edge in UFC experience, while aggressive powerhouse Weaver (15-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will arrive at the Apex looking to rekindle some of the all-action style that saw him earn his UFC contract in August 2019.
The fight should deliver fireworks, but whose career will skyrocket after the fight on Saturday?
Next up: Grappling ace returns, but has she evolved?
After first career loss, can Mackenzie Dern bounce back into the win column?
Mackenzie Dern’s return to the octagon was put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic, but now, after some slight adjustment to her schedule, the Brazilian grappling ace is ready to make a statement once again.
Dern suffered the first loss of her career back at UFC on ESPN+ 19 last October when she was outpointed by Amanda Ribas. Now she’ll be keen to bounce back into the win column against the gritty Hannah Cifers, whose fighting spirit and refusal to take a backward step has seen her score notable wins over Polyana Viana and Jodie Esquibel in her four-fight UFC career.
Dern’s grappling skills are beyond doubt, but it will be interesting to see what improvements she’s made to her striking game since her last outing.
Can Dern (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) bounce back with an impressive win to kickstart her climb up the strawweight ladder, or will Cifers (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) spring a huge shock and send the Brazilian to back-to-back defeats?
Next up: Same surname, different result for Chookagian?
After losing to Valentina Shevchenko, can Katlyn Chookagian beat her sister instead?
If we didn’t know better, we’d think the UFC matchmakers were playing with Katlyn Chookagian’s head. Just when she’d thought she’d seen the last of the Valentina Shevchenko – at least for a while – former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger Chookagian (13-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has been booked to face Valentina’s sister, Antonina (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), in her very next fight.
That fight is this Saturday, where Chookagian will not only have to face the reigning UFC champion’s sister, she’ll also have to do it with her nemesis watching from the shadows in Antonina’s corner. To make it worse, she’ll be fighting in an empty arena, which will be punctuated by Valentina’s voice as she barks instructions at her sister during the fight.
They’re all additional distractions Chookagian could do well without. She fought hard to get her chance at the title, and after losing out to “Bullet,” she’ll have to work even harder to convince the matchmakers she’s worthy of a rematch.
A big win over the champion’s sister, followed by a strong callout, would certainly help her case.
Next up: No crowd, no problem?
Will empty-arena veterans convert experience advantage into wins?
Saturday’s fight card is packed with former Contender Series fighters who are used to fighting in front of very few fans in pivotal bouts. Some even gained that experience at the UFC Apex itself. That experience of fighting in front of only a few people could potentially give 10 fighters on the card a slight advantage.
Nine fighters on Saturday’s card came through the Contender Series, and may feel more comfortable than others when they step out into an empty arena on fight night. But perhaps the fighter with the most interesting arena-based advantage could be a man who hasn’t competed in the Contender Series, or fought at the UFC Apex before.
Main eventer Burns finished Demian Maia in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN+ 28 in Brasilia, which was the UFC’s first behind-closed-doors event during the COVID-19 pandemic. It means “Durinho” has recent experience of fighting – and winning – in the eerie atmosphere of a big UFC event with no fans in the stands.
In a sport where every minute advantage can be turned to your advantage, that experience could potentially prove crucial. But can Burns and the nine Contender Series veterans turn their empty arena experience to their advantage on Saturday night?
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