UFC Fight Night brings sport back to Las Vegas after lockdown - in pictures

Strict rules in place and no fans, but the action has returned ahead of planned June boxing

Tyron Woodley (red gloves) punches Gilbert Burns of Brazil (blue gloves) in their welterweight fight during UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Zuffa

Gilbert Burns of Brazil (blue gloves) kicks Tyron Woodley in their welterweight fight . Zuffa

Gilbert Burns of Brazil (blue gloves) after his victory over Tyron Woodley. Zuffa

Workers sanitise the Octagon between bouts during UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Zuffa

Casey Kenney celebrates after his submission victory over Louis Smolka. Zuffa

Katlyn Chookagian (red gloves) punches Antonina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan in their flyweight fight. Zuffa

Mackenzie Dern (red gloves) celebrates after her submission victory over Hannah Cifers in their strawweight fight during UFC Fight Night. Zuffa

Mackenzie Dern (red gloves) secures a knee bar submission against Hannah Cifers (blue gloves) in their strawweight fight. Zuffa

Roosevelt Roberts (left) secures a rear choke submission against Brok Weaver (blue gloves) in their lightweight fight. Zuffa

Roosevelt Roberts (red gloves) punches Brok Weaver in their lightweight fight. Zuffa

Spike Carlyle (blue gloves) punches Billy Quarantillo. Zuffa

Blagoy Ivanov of Bulgaria (red gloves) punches Augusto Sakai of Brazil (blue gloves) in their heavyweight fight during UFC Fight Night. Zuffa

Combat sport returned to Las Vegas as Brazil's Gilbert Burns defeated former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the main event of an Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts card.

As in the UFC's recent live events from Florida, there were no fans in attendance at the UFC Apex and social distancing measures were in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

But it heralded the return of combat sports to Vegas, where the Nevada State Athletic Commission last week gave the green light not only to UFC but also to boxing cards in June.

Promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank has lined up cards to be held at the MGM Grand Conference Center, starting with a June 9 event featuring Shakur Stevenson, unbeaten in 13 fights, taking on Puerto Rican Felix Caraballo in a non-title bout.

Stevenson, the World Boxing Organization featherweight champion, had been scheduled to make the first defence of his belt on March 14 against Miguel Marriaga in New York, but that event was cancelled because of the pandemic.

"The goal was to start out with really good, competitive fights, with names that people are familiar with, who have been on ESPN shows," Arum told broadcaster ESPN on Saturday, adding they opted not to start with title bouts to streamline the logistics.

Arum said the health protocols put in place by Nevada officials offered "a sensible way to push ahead.

"You've got to make sure all the procedures are safe and so forth," Arum said. "Hopefully, what we're doing will serve as a template for other promoters to put on shows."