Michael Morales simply despatched discover to the whole welterweight division after laying waste to Gilbert Burns with a vicious first-round end within the UFC Vegas 106 fundamental occasion.
The 25-year-old prospect graduated from prospect to contender along with his newest efficiency as he overwhelmed Burns from the primary alternate to the final. The end got here after Morales blasted Burns with a devastating proper hand that rocked the veteran Brazilian and put him down on the canvas.
Burns managed to seize onto a leg in a final ditch effort for survival nevertheless it was short-lived success as Morales slipped free and simply continued hammering away at him. As soon as Burns dropped to the canvas for the second time, referee Herb Dean noticed sufficient to cease the competition with the top coming at simply 3:39 within the opening spherical.
The victory strikes Morales to 18-0 in his profession with an ideal 6-0 resume within the UFC.
“This was robust work, laborious work, at all times, I’ll let you know what each battle to me is hard and I at all times really feel nervous,” Morales mentioned after the win. “I used to be truly very, very nervous again there within the locker rooms earlier than [the fight]. I’ll let you know what, they informed me belief your self, belief what you are able to do, belief your potential. We put within the work and we made it occur.
“My mother informed me this, my grandma informed me this, my mother is true right here and she or he mentioned ‘put that heavy hand and the remaining will likely be historical past.’ That is to my mother. She’s right here.”
It was a really spectacular displaying from Morales, who took a determined step up in competitors for his first fundamental occasion on Saturday.
With a big dimension and attain benefit on his aspect, Morales was making an attempt to maintain Burns on the finish of his punches from the beginning, as he exploded ahead with strikes after which backed out once more.
Halfway via the opening spherical, Morales unleashed a barrage of punches making an attempt to overwhelm Burns, who instantly jumped on a leg to seize a quick takedown however the Ecuadorean welterweight was fast to interrupt free to get again to his ft.
From there, Morales actually began unloading on his punches with virtually no concern of reprisal as Burns was desperately simply making an attempt to climate the storm. After Burns bought dropped the primary time, he was making an attempt to make use of his grappling to gradual the battle down however Morales was having none of it.
As quickly as Morales slipped from Burns’ grasp, he started unleashing a barrage of punches that simply melted his opponent and despatched him crumbling to the canvas once more. Morales’ killer intuition confirmed off as he dispatched Burns inside the primary spherical.
With the win, Morales undoubtedly takes an enormous step ahead within the welterweight rankings and he’s prepared for whoever the division throws at him subsequent.
“I knew the entire welterweight division was going to come back out for me,” Morales mentioned. “They had been going to come back at me like sharks. All people making an attempt to take my head off however I’ll let you know what, I’m at all times prepared. Able to go, whoever they need me to battle, so long as I’m wholesome and able to go, I’ll be prepared for them.”
As for Burns, the 38-year-old veteran drops his fourth battle in a row general and this newest setback was most likely the hardest capsule to swallow after falling to a younger prospect reasonably than a confirmed contender from his previous three losses to new champion Jack Della Maddalena, Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady.
