Morales took on Burns in a five-round main event at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, but he only needed the first round to deliver a huge statement to the welterweight division, and the rest of the MMA world.
Morales looked as calm as could be as he stepped into the Octagon for what, on paper, was the toughest test of his MMA career. And when the action got underway, he immediately got to work on establishing his range. And, when he’d gauged his distance, he let his hands go, to emphatic effect.
Morales clipped Burns repeatedly with stinging shots and, while “Durinho” attempted to fire back, Morales was undeterred, and continued to throw combinations. Eventually, that relentless attack broke down the Brazilian, and Morales claimed an attention-grabbing first-round TKO finish against one of the most respected men in the division.
That win means Morales can be added to the list of rising contenders who fancy a shot at the 170-pound title, with Morales joining the likes of Ian Machado Garry, Sean Brady, Carlos Prates and others as dangerous threats to newly-crowned champion Jack Della Maddalena.
The Australian champion looks set to face Islam Makhachev in his first title defence, meaning there’s plenty of time for the contenders to stake their claim. The biggest problem Morales might have is finding someone ranked in the top six or seven who will accept a fight with him.
UFC Vegas 106: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Michael Morales def. Gilbert Burns via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:39
- Mairon Santos def. Sodiq Yusuff via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Nursulton Ruziboev def. Dustin Stoltzfus via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Melquizael Costa def. Julian Erosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Gabe Green def. Matheus Camilo via submission (face crank) – Round 2, 3:43
- Jared Gordon def. Thiago Moises via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:37
- Yadier del Valle def. Connor Matthews via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:54
- Luana Santos def. Tainara Lisboa via submission (Americana) – Round 2, 4:59
- Denise Gomes def. Elise Reed via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:30
- Park Hyun-Sung def. Carlos Hernandez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:26
- Tecia Pennington def. Luana Pinheiro via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
