Michael Morales (fighter) explained

Michael Morales
Birth Name:Michael Jonathan Morales Hurtado[1]
Birth Date:24 June 1999
Birth Place:Pasaje, El Oro, Ecuador
Weight:170lb
Weight Class:Welterweight
Fighting Out Of:Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Team:Xtreme Fitness Machala
Entram Gym
Years Active:2017–present
Mma Kowin:11
Mma Subwin:1
Mma Decwin:4
Sherdog:268041
Reach In:79
Reach Footnote:[2]

Michael Jonathan Morales Hurtado (born June 24, 1999) is an Ecuadorian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Background

Michael Morales was born in 1999 in Pasaje, El Oro, Ecuador. He is the son of judokas, a discipline he has been practicing since he was five 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.[3]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

While fully focusing on MMA, he juggled a job at a naval boat factory.[3]

In 2021, he began his journey through Mexico, arriving in Tijuana to train at Entram Gym.[4] On March 29, 2021, he signed a contract with Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC).[5]

Dana White's Contender Series

On 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.[6]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Morales made his UFC debut against Trevin Giles on January 22, 2022, at UFC 270.[7] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[8]

Morales was scheduled to face Ramiz Brahimaj at UFC 277 on July 30, 2022.[9] However, Brahimaj was forced to withdraw from the event in mid-July due to an undisclosed injury[10] and was replaced by Adam Fugitt.[11] Morales won the fight via TKO in the third round.[12]

Morales was scheduled to face Rinat Fakhretdinov on December 17, 2022, at .[13] However, Morales withdrew due to a toe fracture.[14]

Morales faced Max Griffin on July 1, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 48.[15] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[16]

Morales faced Jake Matthews on November 18, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 232.[17] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[18]

Morales is scheduled to face Neil Magny on August 24, 2024 at UFC on ESPN 62.[19]

Mixed martial arts record

|-|Win|align=center|16–0|Jake Matthews|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|15–0|Max Griffin|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|14–0|Adam Fugitt|TKO (punches)|UFC 277||align=center|3|align=center|1:09|Dallas, Texas, United States||-|Win|align=center|13–0|Trevin Giles|TKO (punches)|UFC 270||align=center|1|align=center|4:06|Anaheim, California, United States||-|Win|align=center|12–0|Nikolay Veretennikov|Decision (unanimous)|Dana White's Contender Series 40||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|11–0|Miguel Arizmendi|TKO (punches)|UWC 26||align=center|2|align=center|4:02|Tijuana, Mexico||-|Win|align=center|10–0|Ricardo Centeno|KO (punch)|EMMA 17||align=center|1|align=center|4:45|Quito, Ecuador||-|Win|align=center|9–0|Daniel Luigy Bastidas|TKO (doctor Stoppage)|EMMA 16||align=center|1|align=center|2:01|Guayaquil, Ecuador||-|Win|align=center|8–0|Mario Navarrete|TKO (punches)|Barbarian's Fighting League 5||align=center|2|align=center|2:45|Machala, Ecuador||-|Win|align=center|7–0|Gregoris Cisneros|Submission (triangle choke) |Barbarian's Fighting League 4||align=center|1|align=center|1:58|Cuenca, Ecuador||-|Win|align=center|6–0|Erick Zambrano|TKO (punches) |Pasaje Combat 1||align=center|1|align=center|1:55 |Pasaje, Ecuador||-|Win|align=center|5–0|Mathias Salazar|TKO (punches)|Manaba Top Team 2||align=center|1|align=center|1:40|El Guabo, Ecuador ||-|Win|align=center|4–0|Óscar Ravello|TKO (corner stoppage)|FFC 39||align=center|2|align=center|5:00|Lima, Peru||-|Win|align=center|3–0|Leonardo Blasco|Decision (unanimous)|TFC 2||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|La Troncal, Ecuador||-|Win|align=center|2–0|Álvaro Vacacela Guerrero|TKO (doctor stoppage)|OFC 5||align=center|1|align=center|5:00|Santa Rosa, Ecuador||-|Win|align=center|1–0|Álvaro Vacacela Guerrero|TKO (punches)|OFC 4||align=center|2|align=center|3:15|Pasaje, Ecuador||-[20]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pan-Am Championships 2019 - Juniors . 2023-11-19 . FloWrestling . en-US.
  2. Web site: Michael Morales. Tapology.
  3. Web site: Michael Morales: "Empecé a practicar artes marciales mixtas por curiosidad". 2022-02-20. primicias.ec.
  4. Web site: Michael Morales: ¿Quién es la nueva promesa ecuatoriana que hace historia en la UFC?. 2023-10-20. vistazo.com.
  5. Web site: Michael Morales debutará el 22 de enero en la cartelera estelar de la UFC. 2022-01-09. primicias.ec.
  6. Web site: Michael Morales gana y consigue el contrato para pelear en la UFC . 2021-09-21. primicias.ec.
  7. Web site: Dorff. Marcel. 2021-10-12. Michael Morales treft Trevin Giles tijdens UFC 270 op 22 januari. 2021-10-12. MMA DNA. en-US.
  8. Web site: Anderson. Jay. 2022-01-22. UFC 270: Michael Morales Stays Perfect with TKO Finish of Trevin Giles. 2022-01-23. Cageside Press. en-US.
  9. Web site: Michael Morales vs. Ramiz Brahimaj added to UFC 277. mma.uno. Steve Duncan. 2022-05-11. 2022-07-20.
  10. Web site: UFC 277 hit with multitude of withdrawals. Here's where the card stands less than two weeks away.. mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Nolan King. 2022-07-18. 2022-07-18.
  11. Web site: With Brahimaj injured, Adam Fugitt faces Michael Morales at UFC 277. mma.uno. Steve Duncan. 2022-07-21. 2022-07-21.
  12. Web site: Michael Morales derrota a Adam Fugitt por nocaut y mantiene su invicto. 2022-07-30. primicias.ec.
  13. Web site: Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 26-Oct. 2). mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Nolan King. 2022-10-03. 2022-11-30.
  14. Web site: Unbeaten Michael Morales injured, out of UFC Fight Night 216 vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov. mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Danny Segura. 2022-11-30. 2022-11-30.
  15. Web site: 2023-06-22 . 2023-04-29 . es . Fuentes: UFC pacta Morales-Griffin en julio . ESPNdeportes.com.
  16. Web site: 2023-07-02 . 2023-07-01 . es . UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov Results Winner Interviews, Highlights And More From Las Vegas . www.ufcespanol.com.
  17. Web site: 2023-11-19 . 2023-09-22 . ITN News . en-US . Desk . Michael Morales vs Jake Matthews Reported at UFC November 18 . www.itnwwe.com.
  18. Web site: Anderson . Jay . 2023-11-19 . Michael Morales Stays Undefeated, Bests Jake Matthews at UFC Vegas 82 . 2023-11-19 . Cageside Press . en-US.
  19. Web site: Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny verbally agreed for UFC's Aug. 24 Fight Night. mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Danny Segura. 2024-07-04. 2024-07-04.
  20. Web site: Michael Morales. Sherdog.com. Sherdog. 2022-11-20.

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