The Ultimate Fighting Championship staged its latest event on home turf tonight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC on ESPN 9: “Woodley vs Burns” was headlined by a welterweight bout between former champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley and contender Gilbert “Durinho” Burns.

In the heavyweight co-main event, Blagoy “Baga” Ivanov battled Augusto Sakai. Elsewhere on tonight’s main card, Billy Quarantillo faced off against Spike “The Alpha Ginger” Carlyle in a 150-pound catchweight contest. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC on ESPN 9 card.

Gilbert “Durinho” Burns vs Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley

Round 1:
Burns rocked Woodley with an early right hook and he followed with more punches until Woodley fell to his back. Burns dove in with right hands in search of the finish, but Woodley covered up and bought time to recover. Burns mounted him and looked to set up a top-side guillotine choke as Woodley bled heavily from a cut near his left eye. Woodley eventually powered out from the bottom and returned to his feet. Burns landed two leg kicks and he blocked a head kick. A liver kick and a lead left hook scored for Burns before the bell. 10-8 Burns.

Round 2:
Burns mixed up his strikes with kicks to Woodley’s lead leg and body in the second round. Woodley responded with his best combination of the fight, but Burns took him down. He landed short strikes from the top as Woodley worked his way to the bottom of the cage. He scrambled up and the fighters exchanged knees in a lengthy clinch battle against the fence. 10-9 Burns.

Round 3:
Punches were exchanged in the opening minute of round three and Burns kept Woodley on the defensive. He wobbled him briefly with a one-two and continued to throw overhand rights as Woodley circled into them. Burns slipped while throwing a knee, but Woodley allowed him to stand and Burns threw a body kick. Woodley responded with a one-two and Burns attacked his lead leg with a powerful kick. Woodley stayed on the outside and Burns picked his shots with right hands until the bell. 10-9 Burns.

Round 4:
Woodley stuffed a takedown attempt early in the fourth round and he held Burns against the cage wall. Referee Herb Dean separated the fighters following a lull in the action and Burns landed quick punches while circling to the side. He lunged forward with a left-right combination that dropped Woodley, who rose to his feet and was promptly taken down against the base of the cage. Burns worked from the top in Woodley’s half-guard and he attacked with a guillotine choke just before the end of the round. 10-9 Burns.

Round 5:
Burns backed Woodley up with punches and he pinned him against the cage while working for a sweep takedown. Woodley defended well and he eventually reversed the clinch. Little transpired and the fighters were separated. Woodley landed an overhand right and Burns threw kicks from a distance while preventing Woodley from circling to the sides. After a brief clinch, Burns pressed the action with a leg kick and a short right hook. 10-9 Burns.

Winner: Gilbert Burns by Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-45) after five rounds. He improves to 19-3-0.

Augusto Sakai vs Blagoy “Baga” Ivanov

Round 1:
The fighters circled and traded single punches in the opening 90 seconds. Ivanov closed in with a quick combination and Sakai countered with a right hand and a head kick attempt. Ivanov punched to the body and he followed soon after with two looping hooks over the top. A brief clinch followed and Ivanov punched his way free. He landed more left hands in close and avoided a head kick. Sakai scored with a hard leg kick, however, and Ivanov staggered momentarily. He answered back with two overhand lefts and Sakai landed one more leg kick before the bell. 10-9 Ivanov.

Round 2:
Ivanov punched to the body in the second round, but he ate a counter right hook and two hard leg kicks from Sakai. A clinch battle ensued against the cage and Ivanov landed short left hands over the top. Two big left hooks scored for Ivanov and Sakai answered with a right hand and a vicious body kick. Ivanov prevented him from securing a takedown and the fighters separated. Sakai landed another body kick and the fighters traded looping hooks. Sakai hurt Ivanov with leg kicks and both men continued to throw heavy punches. Ivanov caught a knee and took Sakai down into half-guard. Sakai struck from the bottom with hammerfists until time expired. 10-9 Sakai.

Round 3:
Both men landed one-twos while circling in the opening minutes and they battled for position against the fence. Ivanov attempted a headlock takedown and Sakai grabbed the cage to maintain his balance. Back on the feet, Sakai landed a combination and a leg kick. Ivanov picked up the pace in the final 30 seconds as he charged forward with overhand punches to close out the back-and-forth round. 10-9 Sakai by a slim margin.

Winner: Augusto Sakai by Split Decision (29-29, 29-28, 27-30) after three rounds. He improves to 15-1-1.

Billy Quarantillo vs Spike “The Alpha Ginger” Carlyle

Round 1:
Carlyle rushed at Quarantillo and attacked with elbows that forced Quarantillo to try to shoot for a takedown. Carlyle stuffed it and he ultimately took Quarantillo’s back on the ground. Quarantillo rolled to his back and Carlyle unloaded with punches and elbows from mount. He then spun into an armbar attempt, but Quarantillo defended and escaped. He took Carlyle’s back in a subsequent scramble and trapped Carlyle in a body lock. Carlyle managed to spin into Quarantillo’s guard despite the pressure around his waist. Soon after, Carlyle moved to side control, but Quarantillo got back to full guard and he threw elbows from the bottom. Carlyle responded with punches from a standing position and turned his back, but the bell had not uet sounded and Quarantillo blasted him with a lunging left hook before the round ended. 10-9 Carlyle.

Round 2:
Carlyle stunned Quarantillo with a step-in elbow early in the second round, but Quarantillo took him down into back control. Carlyle turned into his guard, just as he had done in round one, and he prevented Quarantillo from standing up against the cage. Carlyle took his back momentarily, but he lost the position and Quarantillo was able to get back to his feet. He landed a powerful knee to the body and took Carlyle down. Carlyle battled back to his feet and he secured a takedown late in the round. Quarantillo threatened with two triangle choke attempts from his back and Carlyle escaped from both before the bell. 10-9 Carlyle.

Round 3:
Quarantillo countered a brief takedown from Carlyle with one of his own in the final round and he postured up with punches from the top. He locked on a rear-naked choke in a scramble, but Carlyle managed to twist his head and he escaped. Quarantillo tried for a triangle choke and Carlyle easily avoided danger. The fighters stood and Quarantillo dragged Carlyle down while trying to set up a rear-naked choke. He sunk in both hooks and threw punches to the sides of Carlyle’s head. Quarantillo was unable to secure the choke and the fighters stood up with seconds to go. An exhausted Quarantillo rocked an equally tired Carlyle with looping haymaker punches just before the end of the fight. 10-9 Quarantillo. Could be a 10-8 for a draw.

Winner: Billy Quarantillo by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-2-0.

Roosevelt “The Predator” Roberts vs Brok “Chata Tuska” Weaver

Round 1:
The fighters battled in a clinch against the cage in the opening minute and Roberts landed a hard combination after the break. He followed with a lead left hook and Weaver clinched once more. Roberts broke free and scored with a one-two. He mixed things up with kicks and punching flurries until Weaver pressed forward and clinched. Roberts circled away and both men landed punching combinations. Roberts reversed one clinch and he countered a second one with a standing guillotine choke. Weaver had to spin quickly to escape and Roberts looked for a rear-naked choke on the ground before the bell. 10-9 Roberts.

Round 2:
Roberts cracked Weaver with a right hook to begin the second round and Weaver tried unsuccessfully for a takedown. Roberts fought off a standing guillotine choke attempt and he flurried with punches before taking Weaver down against the base of the cage. Roberts briefly held back control and he then worked from the top in half-guard after Weaver rolled over. Weaver gave up his back and Roberts locked on a rear-naked choke. Weaver narrowly escaped and Roberts punished him with big punches from back control. Roberts secured another rear-naked choke and this time Weaver was forced to tap out.

Winner: Roosevelt Roberts by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:26 of round two. He improves to 10-1-0.

Mackenzie Dern vs Hannah “Shockwave” Cifers

Round 1:
Cifers countered Dern’s early clinch attempts with hard right hands and knees that forced Dern to give up on the clinch. Both women landed right hooks in an exchange and Cifers caught a body kick. Dern countered with a rolling takedown and she quickly attacked with a kneebar from the bottom. Cifers had nowhere to go and tapped out within seconds. Impressive comeback win for Dern.

Winner: Mackenzie Dern by Submission (Kneebar) at 2:36 of round one. She improves to 8-1-0.

(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)