Michael Morales sent notices throughout the welterweight division after laying waste in Gilbert Burns with a vicious first round finish in the UFC Vegas 106 main event.
The 25-year-old prospect graduated from prospect to candidate with his latest performance as he overwhelmed the burns from the first exchange to the end. The finish came after Morales blew the burn off with his devastating right hand, rocking the veteran Brazilian and placing it on the canvas.
Burns managed to grab his leg with a final groove effort for survival, but it was a short-lived success as Morales slipped freely and continued to slap him. As Barnes fell on the canvas for the second time, referee Herb Dean watched enough to stop the contest when the end came just 3:39 in the opening round.
This victory moves Morales to 18-0 in his career with a perfect 6-0 resume in the UFC.
“It was a tough job, hard work, it always tells me that every fight with me is difficult. “I was actually very nervous about going back to the locker room (fight).
“My mother said this to me, my grandma said this to me, my mother was here and she said, ‘She put that heavy hand down, and the rest will be history.’ This is my mother. ”
It was a very impressive show from Morales. Morales took the step that decided to compete for his first main event on Saturday.
With the advantages of large size and reach on his side, Morales had been trying to continue burning from the start at the end of the punch.
Midway through the opening round, Morales unleashed a barrage of punches trying to overwhelm Burns. Burns quickly jumped onto his leg and grabbed a short takedown, but the Ecuadorian welterweight quickly returned to his freedom.
From there, Morales began to drop his punches down, with little fear of retaliation, as Burns was desperate to survive the storm. After Burns was dropped for the first time, he was trying to slow the fight using grappling, but Morales didn’t have it.
As soon as Morales slipped out of Burns’ grip, he began to unleash a barrage of punches that had just melted his opponent, and once again collapsed onto the canvas to send him. Morales’ killer instincts were shown when he sent a burn within the first round.
With the victory, Morales undoubtedly takes a big step in the welterweight rankings, ready for the next person the division throws at him.
“I knew the whole welterweight division would come out for me,” Morales said. “They were going to come to me like sharks. Everyone is taking off my head, but I’m always ready. I’m ready. As long as I’m healthy and ready, I’m ready for them.”
As for Burns, the 38-year-old veteran dropped his fourth overall fight, and this latest setback was perhaps the toughest drug to swallow after falling into younger prospects, rather than a proven candidate from the past three losses to new champions Jack Della Madarena, Beral Muhammad and Sean Brady.