Tag: Michael Morales

Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales shifts from UFC 315 to UFC Fight Night 256 headliner

Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales has shifted events yet again and will now serve as a headliner.

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] has shifted events yet again and will now serve as a headliner.

Burns was slated to take on Morales in Saturday’s UFC 314 card in Miami before moving to UFC 315 on May 10 in Montreal. Now the pair have been rebooked for a week later, but this time to main event UFC Fight Night 256 May 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN+).

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report from UFC Espanol’s Jacque Enriquez on Friday, and the UFC made a formal announcement Saturday during the UFC 314 main card broadcast.

Former title challenger Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) will look to snap a three-fight losing skid, where he most recently lost a unanimous decision to Sean Brady in the UFC Fight Night 242 headliner this past September. “Durinho” hasn’t won a fight since defeating Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 in April 2023.

Undefeated Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has an opportunity to enter the upper echelon of the welterweight after finishing three of his first five UFC fights. He is coming off a first-round, Performance of the Night TKO of Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 62.

The latest UFC Fight Night 256 lineup now includes:

  • Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales
  • Ismail Naurdiev vs. JunYong Park
  • Tainara Lisboa vs. Luana Santos
  • Carlos Hernandez vs. HyunSung Park
  • Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig
  • Tecia Pennington vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
  • Denise Gomes vs. Elise Reed

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 256.

Coach Raul Arvizu: UFC contender Michael Morales still far from prime

Coach Raul Arvizu thinks UFC contender Michael Morales is still far from his prime potential, despite his success so far.

Watch out welterweights. Yes, [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] is unbeaten and already in the UFC official rankings, but he’s yet to scratch the surface of his potential.

[autotag]Raul Arvizu[/autotag], head-coach at Entram Gym in Tijuana and coach of Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), thinks his pupil is not even halfway in his MMA development, and that’s why he sees him with plenty of potential of one day wearing UFC gold. From Ecuador but fighting out of Mexico, Morales has cemented himself as one of the most promising fighters today in the UFC. Arvizu thinks more is to come.

“To this day, I’m telling you, Michael is about 40 percent of what he can be, maybe 45, 48 percent of what he can be,” Arvizu told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “He can improve a lot more in his striking, his jiu-jitsu. I want him to have a level of Mexican boxing that’s professional, and get him to black belt in jiu-jitsu. I want him to have those tools. He’s just 25, and I think we’re two to three years away from his prime.”

Arvizu trained and got Brandon Moreno to win the UFC flyweight title, fighting out of his gym in Mexico several years ago. He’s also gotten many other fighters to the UFC, and is very used to seeing what it takes to compete at the highest levels. Yet, despite all his years of experience, Arvizu assures he’s never seen anyone as physically gifted as Morales.

“I’ve never trained anybody like him, never,” Arvizu said. “Sometimes I train someone and I ask them to do a handstand and they can’t. Michael gets on his hands, walks around, does flips – he’s extremely athletic. I’ve never trained anyone like him. I’ve trained Mexicans that are tough and hit hard and are strong, but Michael is something else. It’s incredible to witness.

“I can say I’m a great coach, but the truth is that working with Michael just makes you look good. I usually don’t choose fighters based on their athletic ability, more on their work ethic, but it’s good to have someone like that.”

Morales has been linked to fight former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 314 in Miami, but the promotion has yet to make the bout official.

As of now, Arvizu is happy with the where Morales is at in his development. He thinks there’s way more room for growth, but already sees him good enough to start competing with the top 10 of the UFC welterweight division.

“Michael is very complete,” Arvizu said. “He has heavy hands, good wrestling. His jiu-jitsu hasn’t really been shown, but it’s not bad at all. I try to get my fighters as complete as possible. That’s what I like to do. … Michael is so athletic that you teach him something for one or two months, and he has it for life.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

Gilbert Burns assesses potential Michael Morales UFC fight: ‘I cannot afford to lose’

Gilbert Burns is aware that a potential fight with Michael Morales won’t be easy.

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] is aware that a potential fight with [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] won’t be easy.

Per Ag Fight, Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) is expected to face Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a welterweight bout April 12 at UFC 314 in Miami.

Burns recently addressed the possible matchup with the unbeaten rising contender.

“I think the guy’s very good,” Burns said of Morales on his “Show Me The Money” podcast. “High-level. He’s 17-0 18-0, maybe? Crazy finishes. He’s very tough, very good, very athletic. Looks very athletic.

“I started watching his fights a little bit just in case. The fight’s not officially a done deal, but I think it’s going to play (out). I think it’s a tough fight for me. Tough fight for him as well, I think, but as (Renato) ‘Money’ Moicano says, ‘I cannot afford to lose, bro.'”

Former title challenger Burns has his back against the wall having lost three straight for the first time in his career. His losses came to current UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, and top contenders Jack Della Maddalena and Sean Brady.

What bothers Burns the most isn’t necessarily the skid, but his most recent performance against Brady this past September in the UFC Fight Night 242 main event.

“It’s been three already,” Burns said. “The injury against Belal, then the knockout against JDM, then the last one for me, which was a hard one to swallow. I put a crazy amount of work, and I couldn’t show anything. I had a bad weight cut. No excuses. Shout out to Sean Brady – he did great.

“No excuse: The guy beat me, but I couldn’t perform the way I wanted. So now, I’m going to do everything in my power to perform. I don’t care. I want to show up in that fight. I’m not even looking at the three losses, I just want to show up.”

[lawrence-related id=2769245,2768126]

Michael Morales aims for UFC welterweight championship in two years after finishing Neil Magny

Michael Morales wants to capture the UFC welterweight title by the time he’s 27, and after finishing Neil Magny, he’s on the right track.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] has his sights set on UFC welterweight gold and has a timeline in mind for his goal.

On the main card of UFC on ESPN 62, Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) passed the toughest test of his career thus far by stopping Neil Magny in the first round. As of late, Magny (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC) has been tasked with taking on young upstarts, but the undefeated Ecuadorian was too much to handle.

“I wanted to finish him in the first round,” Morales told reporters through an interpreter at a post-fight news conference. “It wasn’t the strategy, but I wanted to do it, obviously.”

After a pair of unanimous decision wins, questions were swirling about Morales’ ability to finish fights against tougher competition, considering he started his UFC career with two stoppage victories. However, after smashing Magny in the first round, a different set of questions will be asked.

Morales, 25, is young, undefeated, and appears to be a real problem for the top names in the division. So, where does he go from here?

“As far as names are concerned, I think there’s a couple of names out there,” Morales said. “I think (Vicente) Luque is somebody that would be an opportunity to fight. Michael Chiesa, I saw him around here, so that was something. Also, Ian Garry. We call him out, I don’t know where he is. So those are some opportunities to fight.”

Beyond having a few names at the tip of his tongue for his next challenge, Morales believes he will capture the division’s title in the coming years. For now, he’s focused on climbing the ladder, but aims to be the best in the world very soon.

“I’ve always said by 27, I want to be a champion,” Morales said. “You never know. Listen, at 25, Here I am. I never thought I was going to come in the UFC that early, and here I was at 21. Maybe top five, top 10 at the end of the year, and let’s see what happens.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

UFC on ESPN 62 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $28 million

The UFC has now paid athletes more than $28 million in Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay after UFC on ESPN 62.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 62 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $166,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 62 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 62 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tabatha Ricci[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ryan Loder[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Robert Valentin[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mairon Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kaan Ofli[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Francis Marshall[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Medina[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Viacheslav Borshchev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]James Llontop[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jacqueline Cavalcanti[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josiane Nunes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Wang Cong[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victoria Leonardo[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,620; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-62 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,324,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $28,061,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

UFC on ESPN 62 bonuses: Gerald Meerschaert’s come-from-behind, record-breaking finish earns him $50K

To go with his name in the UFC record book, Gerald Meerschaert also fattened his wallet at UFC on ESPN 62.

The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card, including one for a submission that made some history.

After UFC on ESPN 62, four fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

***

Fight of the Night: Caio Borralho vs Jared Cannonier

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] put on one of the most entertaining fights of the year in the night’s headliner. Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) had to dig deep and nearly finished Cannonier  (17-8 MMA, 10-8 UFC) in the fifth round but ultimately won a unanimous decision that should place him right in the middle of title contention at middleweight.

Performance of the Night: Michael Morales

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 24: Michael Morales of Ecuador battles Neil Magny in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 24, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) passed the biggest test of his career with flying colors as he scored a ground-and-pound TKO win over Neil Magny late in the first round to remain undefeated.

Performance of the Night: Gerald Meerschaert

Not only did [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) stage a Comeback of the Year candidate, he made history when rallied to submit Edmen Shahbazyan. With the result, Meerschaert passed former champion and Hall of Famer Anderson Silva for the most finishes (12) in UFC middleweight history.

[lawrence-related id=2765960,2765954,2765962]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

UFC on ESPN 62 video: Michael Morales pummels Neil Magny for merciful stoppage

Rising UFC star Michael Morales passed his toughest test to date with flying colors when he finished Neil Magny in Round 1.

[autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] passed his biggest UFC test to date in under 5 minutes Saturday.

On the UFC on ESPN 62 main card, Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) finished seasoned veteran [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC) with ground-and-pound punches at 4:39 of the first round at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The finish came after Morales outmuscled Magny to the canvas and worked to a dominant position. He postured up and when Magny turned his back, Morales rained down ground-and-pound until referee Dan Miragliotta intervened.

Ecuador’s Morales, 25, remains unbeaten in his career. Other notable UFC wins prior to Saturday’s contest include Jake Matthews, Max Griffin, and Trevin Giles.

Magny, 37, continues his streak of alternating wins and losses – a pattern that has stretched eight fights, dating back to March 2022.

The up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 62 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ESPN 62

How will Michael Morales handle the veteran experience of Neil Magny on the UFC on ESPN 62 main card?

[autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 62 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 1-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 70-61-3

Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 preview

Magny (29-11 MMA, 22-10 UFC) has undoubtedly seen a variety of styles in the UFC. As of late, he’s been tasked with testing young upstarts with big potential, which is the case again here. In his last fight, Magny stopped Mike Malott in the final round at UFC 297 to return to the win column. Magny has traded wins and losses over his past six. … Morales (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) hasn’t lost in his professional career. He enters his toughest test yet on the heels of a unanimous decision victory over Jake Matthews in November. This is the type of matchup that will set the tone for Morales’ immediate trajectory in the welterweight division.

Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 expert pick, prediction

Serving as a solid attraction at welterweight is a battle between Magny and Morales.

Morales is a young, undefeated prospect, but he’s yet to face “the Magny test.”

Playing the spoiler for nearly a decade now, Magny – while not having the craziest highlight reel in the world – has figured out how to effectively win fights in the octagon as the UFC’s welterweight wins leader. That said, Magny has arguably looked less potent in recent years and the playbook on how to beat him remains the same: target his legs and body.

Morales has been a bit better about mixing in leg kicks since moving shop to Entram Gym, but he still doesn’t attack the lower levels vigorously enough for money to be confident enough in him to do it to Magny.

Add in the fact that Morales doesn’t seem to be a man who comes in with a game plan, and I suspect that he makes this fight much harder on himself than he needs to.

It’s dog or pass from a betting perspective, but I’ll semi-reluctantly pick Morales to edge a dicey decision with the more emphatic moments.

Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Ecuadorian, listing Morales -850 and Magny +540 via FanDuel.

Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 start time, how to watch

As the second fight on the main card, Magny and Morales are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 10:35 p.m. ET. The fight will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

Michael Morales eyes spot in welterweight rankings if victorious vs. Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 62

Michael Morales believes he’s fighting for a spot in the UFC welterweight rankings at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 62.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] is hoping to soon have a number next to his name.

The UFC welterweight prospect wants a spot in the UFC official rankings should he take care of business this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 62. Morales (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) fights Neil Magny on the main card of the event, which takes place at the UFC Apex. He sees this return as a perfect opportunity to make a statement and put himself among the division’s best.

“Magny is someone who has a long trajectory in the UFC,” Morales said in Spanish at the UFC on ESPN 62 media day. “I respect him a lot, and that’s why he’s been able to stay on top and in the rankings. I’ve studied him a lot, more on his losses than anything, but I still try to learn from my rivals. I want to take advantage of every weapon I have against him. I hope that, just like I will, I hope that he puts up a great fight and gives it his all.

“What I do want regardless is to get in the rankings. I want to keep climbing and keep leveling up my game. I feel like I’ve matured these past few months, and I’m not going to let this opportunity slip away. I’m going to try to knock him out.”

Magny (29-11 MMA, 22-10 UFC) is one of the most seasoned fighters on the UFC roster. Morales, who’s unbeaten in his MMA career, wants not only to beat Magny, but also show some new tools added to his game.

“I haven’t been able to show my jiu-jitsu and wrestling, more to defend, but I haven’t much offensively,” Morales said. “I think that I will change my style a bit. I think it will play out mainly on the feet, but I also want to take advantage of the fact that people take him down a lot, and he mainly just holds his opponents and doesn’t look to finish off his back.

“I’m going to use all my tools, but the battle will mainly be about cardio. So we’ll see what happens. I will show who’s the man in there.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.

Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny verbally agreed for UFC’s Aug. 24 Fight Night

A welterweight bout pitting Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny has been verbally agreed to for a UFC Fight Night event Aug. 24.

UFC welterweight prospect [autotag]Michael Morales[/autotag] is stepping up in competition.

The unbeaten Ecuadorian is being targeted to take on crafty veteran [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] at a UFC Fight Night event Aug. 24 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Both parties have verbally agreed to the bout, MMA Junkie confirmed with multiple people with knowledge of the matchup. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has not yet made a formal announcement of the fight.

Morales (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has yet to taste defeat in his professional MMA career. The 25-year-old most recently fought in November 2023 and beat Jake Matthews with a unanimous decision. Morales had been out nursing an injury, now is training and healthy.

Magny, who recently had his 40th professional fight, continues to face the young blood of the division. Magny most recently fought in January and picked up a TKO win over prospect [autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] – which stands as one of the best comebacks in 2024.

With the addition, the UFC’s Aug. 24 lineup now includes:

  • Bruno Ferreira vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva
  • Jose Medina vs. Zach Reese
  • Viacheslav Borschev vs. James Llontop
  • Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Josiane Nunes
  • Felipe dos Santos vs. Andre Lima
  • Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]