Michael Morales Hurtado [1] (born June 24, 1994) is an Ecuadorian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
| Michael Morales | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Morales Hurtado[1] June 24, 1999 Pasaje, El Oro, Ecuador |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Division | Welterweight |
| Reach | 79 in (201 cm)[1] |
| Team | Xtreme Fitness Machala |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 16 |
| Wins | 16 |
| By knockout | 11 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background
editMichael Morales was born in 1999, in Pasaje, El Oro, Ecuador. Son of judokas, a discipline he has been practicing since he was 5 years old, where his mother was his first coach. At the age of 10, he switched from judo to wrestling, where he won several youth tournaments. At the age of 14, his father took him to Víctor Vallejo's academy in Machala, where he began to practice mixed martial arts.[2]
Mixed martial arts career
editEarly career
editWhile fully focusing on MMA, he juggled a job at a naval boat factory.[2]
In 2021, he begins his journey through Mexico, arriving in Tijuana to train at Entram Gym.[3] On March 29, 2021, he signs a contract with Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC).[4]
Dana White's Contender Series
editOn September 21, 2021, Morales faced Nikolay Veretennikov for a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series: Season 5, Week 4. Morales earned the contract by defeating Veretennikov via unanimous decision.[5]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
editMorales made his UFC debut on January 22, 2022, at UFC 270.[6] Facing Trevin Giles. He won the fight by TKO in the first round.[7]
Morales was scheduled to face Ramiz Brahimaj at UFC 277 on July 30, 2022.[8] However, Brahimaj was forced to withdraw from the event in mid-July due to an undisclosed injury.[9] He was replaced by Adam Fugitt.[10] He won the fight by TKO in the third round.[11]
Morales was scheduled to face Rinat Fakhretdinov on December 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland.[12] However, Morales withdrew due to a toe fracture.[13]
Morales faced Max Griffin on July 1, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 48.[14] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[15]
Morales faced Jake Matthews on November 18, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 232.[16] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[17]
Mixed martial arts record
edit| 16 matches | 16 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 4 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 16–0 | Jake Matthews | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig | November 18, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 15–0 | Max Griffin | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Strickland vs. Magomedov | July 1, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 14–0 | Adam Fugitt | TKO (punches) | UFC 277 | July 30, 2022 | 3 | 1:09 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 13–0 | Trevin Giles | TKO (punches) | UFC 270 | January 22, 2022 | 1 | 4:06 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 12–0 | Nikolay Veretennikov | Decision (unanimous) | Dana White's Contender Series 40 | September 21, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 11–0 | Miguel Arizmendi | TKO (punches) | UWC 26 | April 30, 2021 | 2 | 4:02 | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| Win | 10–0 | Ricardo Centeno | KO (punch) | EMMA 17 | October 3, 2020 | 1 | 4:45 | Quito, Ecuador | |
| Win | 9–0 | Daniel Luigy Bastidas | TKO (doctor Stoppage) | EMMA 16 | August 1, 2020 | 1 | 2:01 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | |
| Win | 8–0 | Mario Navarrete | TKO (punches) | BFL 5: Machala | February 12, 2020 | 2 | 2:45 | Machala, Ecuador | |
| Win | 7–0 | Gregoris Cisneros | Submission (triangle choke) | BFL 4 | December 14, 2019 | 1 | 1:58 | Cuenca, Ecuador | |
| Win | 6–0 | Erick Zambrano | TKO (punches) | Pasaje Combat 1 | November 8, 2019 | 1 | 1:55 | Pasaje, Ecuador | Return to welterweight. |
| Win | 5–0 | Mathias Salazar | TKO (punches) | MTT2 | September 6, 2019 | 1 | 1:40 | El Guabo, Ecuador | Lightweight bout. |
| Win | 4–0 | Óscar Ravello | TKO (corner stoppage) | FFC 39 | July 17, 2019 | 2 | 5:00 | Lima, Ecuador | Welterweight bout. |
| Win | 3–0 | Leonardo Blasco | Decision (unanimous) | TFC 2 | December 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | La Troncal, Ecuador | Lightweight debut. |
| Win | 2–0 | Álvaro Vacacela Guerrero | TKO (doctor stoppage) | OFC 5 | March 24, 2018 | 1 | 5:00 | Santa Rosa, Ecuador | |
| Win | 1–0 | Álvaro Vacacela Guerrero | TKO (punches) | OFC 4 | August 19, 2017 | 2 | 3:15 | Pasaje, Ecuador | Welterweight debut. |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Michael Morales". Tapology.
- ^ a b "Michael Morales: "Empecé a practicar artes marciales mixtas por curiosidad"". primicias.ec. 2022-02-20.
- ^ "Michael Morales: ¿Quién es la nueva promesa ecuatoriana que hace historia en la UFC?". vistazo.com. 2023-10-20.
- ^ "Michael Morales debutará el 22 de enero en la cartelera estelar de la UFC". primicias.ec. 2022-01-09.
- ^ "Michael Morales gana y consigue el contrato para pelear en la UFC". primicias.ec. 2021-09-21.
- ^ Dorff, Marcel (2021-10-12). "Michael Morales treft Trevin Giles tijdens UFC 270 op 22 januari". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-01-22). "UFC 270: Michael Morales Stays Perfect with TKO Finish of Trevin Giles". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
- ^ Steve Duncan (2022-05-11). "Michael Morales vs. Ramiz Brahimaj added to UFC 277". mma.uno. Retrieved 2022-07-20. (in Spanish)
- ^ Nolan King (2022-07-18). "UFC 277 hit with multitude of withdrawals. Here's where the card stands less than two weeks away". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
- ^ Steve Duncan (2022-07-21). "With Brahimaj injured, Adam Fugitt faces Michael Morales at UFC 277". mma.uno. Retrieved 2022-07-21. (in Spanish)
- ^ "Michael Morales derrota a Adam Fugitt por nocaut y mantiene su invicto". primicias.ec. 2022-07-30.
- ^ Nolan King (2022-10-03). "Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 26-Oct. 2)". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
- ^ Danny Segura (2022-11-30). "Unbeaten Michael Morales injured, out of UFC Fight Night 216 vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
- ^ "Fuentes: UFC pacta Morales-Griffin en julio". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov Results | Winner Interviews, Highlights And More From Las Vegas". www.ufcespanol.com (in Spanish). 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
- ^ Desk, ITN News (2023-09-22). "Michael Morales vs Jake Matthews Reported at UFC November 18". www.itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Anderson, Jay (2023-11-19). "Michael Morales Stays Undefeated, Bests Jake Matthews at UFC Vegas 82". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Michael Morales". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
External links
edit
Background
editMichael Morales was born in 1999, in Pasaje, Ecuador. Son of judokas, a discipline that he has practiced since he was 5 years old, where his mother was his first coach. At the age of 10 he changed judo for wrestling where he won several youth tournaments. At the age of 14, his father took him to the Víctor Vallejo academy in Machala, where he began to practice mixed martial arts.[1]
Mixed martial arts career
editEarly career
editWhile focusing heavily on MMA, he juggled a job at a naval boat factory. He began fighting in local circuits, winning his first two fights by TKO against Álvaro Vacacela Guerrero, in his third fight he won by unanimous decision against the Venezuelan Leonardo Blasco.
In 2019 he competes in the Peruvian promoter Fusion Fighting Championship against the local Óscar Ravello, he wins the fight by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) in the second round. In September 2019, he competed again in Ecuador in the MTT promoter, where he defeated his compatriot Mathias Salazar by TKO in the first round. In November he defeated Erick Zambrano by TKO in the first round. Shortly after, he signed with the promoter Barbarians Fighting League, and in December he played his fourth fight of the year against Gregory Cisneros, winning by submission with a triangle in the first round. In his first fight of 2020, he defeats Mario Navarrete by TKO in the second round. He became part of the Extreme MMA promoter and in his first fight he beat Colombian Daniel Luigy Bastidas after two minutes by TKO (Doctor Stoppage). In October 2020, he beat Ricardo Centeno by KO in the first round.[2]
Ultimate Warrior Challenge
editIn February 2021 he begins his trip through Mexico, he arrives in Tijuana to train at Entram Gym. On March 29, 2021, he signs a contract with Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC), the oldest and most important MMA promoter in Mexico. Just over a month after signing with the UWC, on April 30, 2021, he defeated the Mexican Miguel Arizmendi by TKO in the second round at the UWC Mexico 36 event.
Dana White's Contender Series
editMichael manages to reach the Dana White's Contender Series thanks to his performance at UWC 36, 6 months after his arrival in Mexico, on September 21 he debuted at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas against Kazakh Nikolay Veretennikov, winning the fight by unanimous decision , thus obtaining his contract with the UFC.[3]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
editOn January 22, 2022, Morales made his UFC debut on the UFC 270 against Trevin Giles. He won the bout via TKO in the first round.[4]
On July 30, 2022, at UFC 277, Morales faced Adam Fugitt. He won the fight via TKO in the third round.[5]
Morales was scheduled to face Rinat Fakhretdinov on December 17 at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland.[6] However, Morales pulled out due to a fractured toe and was replaced by Bryan Battle.[7]
Morales faced Max Griffin on July 1, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 225.[8] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[9]
Mixed martial arts record
edit| 15 matches | 15 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 15–0 | Max Griffin | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Strickland vs. Magomedov | July 1, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 14–0 | Adam Fugitt | TKO (punches) | UFC 277 | July 30, 2022 | 3 | 1:09 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 13–0 | Trevin Giles | TKO (punches) | UFC 270 | January 22, 2022 | 1 | 4:06 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 12–0 | Nikolay Veretennikov | Decision (unanimous) | September 21, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | ||
| Win | 11–0 | Miguel Arizmendi | TKO (punches) | UWC 26 | April 30, 2021 | 2 | 4:02 | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| Win | 10–0 | Ricardo Centeno | KO (punch) | EMMA 17 - Centeno vs. Morales | October 3, 2020 | 1 | 4:45 | Quito, Ecuador | |
| Win | 9–0 | Daniel Luigy Bastidas | TKO (doctor Stoppage) | EMMA 16 - Extreme MMA | August 1, 2020 | 1 | 2:01 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | |
| Win | 8–0 | Mario Navarrete | TKO (punches) | BFL 5: Machala | February 12, 2020 | 2 | 2:45 | Machala, Ecuador | |
| Win | 7–0 | Gregoris Cisneros | Submission (triangle choke) | BFL 4 | December 14, 2019 | 1 | 1:58 | Cuenca, Ecuador | |
| Win | 6–0 | Erick Zambrano | TKO (punches) | Pasaje Combat 1: Morales vs. Zambrano | November 8, 2019 | 1 | 1:55 | Pasaje, Ecuador | |
| Win | 5–0 | Mathias Salazar | TKO (punches) | MTT2: Salazar vs. Morales | September 6, 2019 | 1 | 1:40 | El Guabo, Ecuador | |
| Win | 4–0 | Óscar Ravello | TKO (corner stoppage) | FFC 39: Bananada vs. Zarauz 2 | July 17, 2019 | 2 | 5:00 | Lima, Ecuador | |
| Win | 3–0 | Leonardo Blasco | Decision (unanimous) | TFC 2 | December 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | La Troncal, Ecuador | |
| Win | 2–0 | Álvaro Vacacela Guerrero | TKO (doctor stoppage) | OFC 5 | March 24, 2018 | 1 | 5:00 | Santa Rosa, Ecuador | |
| Win | 1–0 | Álvaro Vacacela Guerrero | TKO (punches) | OFC 4 | August 19, 2017 | 2 | 3:15 | Pasaje, Ecuador |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "How UFC newcomer Michael Morales' judo black belt parents sparked his MMA career". MMA Junkie. 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Michael Morales MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ "Dana White's Contender Series 40 results: Four more fighters score UFC deals". MMA Junkie. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ "UFC 270 results: 22-year-old Michael Morales blasts Trevin Giles with barrage, gets TKO stoppage". MMA Junkie. 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ "UFC 277 video: Michael Morales beats down Adam Fugitt en route to stoppage". MMA Junkie. 2022-07-31. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ Danny Segura (2022-11-30). "Unbeaten Michael Morales injured, out of UFC Fight Night 216 vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
- ^ Arshad (2022-12-02). "UFC Vegas 66: Bryan Battle Replaced Morales Against Rinat Fakhretdinov". itswwe.com. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
- ^ Arshad (2023-04-30). "Max Griffin vs Michael Morales Set for UFC Vegas 76 in July". www.itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ Dewar, Val (2023-07-01). "UFC Vegas 76: Michael Morales Remains Undefeated, Beats Max Griffin in Toughest Fight Yet". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Michael Morales". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-11-20.