Michael
Morales undoubtedly has everyone’s attention now.
The undefeated Entram Gym star aced his most significant test to
date in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division, as he
buried Gilbert
Burns with punches in the first round of their
UFC Fight Night 256 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas.
Morales (18-0, 6-0 UFC) closed the show and took a figurative bow
3:39 into Round 1.
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Burns (22-9, 15-9 UFC) had no answers for the Ecuadorian brute.
Morales sent the Kill Cliff Fight Club mainstay into a backpedal
with a sweeping right hook and had him ducking for cover along the
fence. Burns retreated to the canvas while being swarmed but found
no refuge there and instead returned to his feet. Morales was
waiting. He unleashed his hands again, drove Burns to the mat and
prompted the stoppage.
Meanwhile, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 32 winner Mairon
Santos rode a potent clinch game and a multi-pronged standup
attack to a unanimous decision over Sodiq
Yusuff in the three-round lightweight co-main event. All three
members of the assigned judiciary sided with Santos (16-1, 3-0
UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
Yusuff (13-5, 6-4 UFC) played into the Brazilian’s hands for a
majority of their encounter. The Lloyd Irvin
disciple leaned heavily on leg kicks but failed to do much else to
differentiate himself. Santos cut him with a head kick and abused
him along the fence with knees, short punches and shoulder strikes.
Distance between the two men grew over time. The sense of urgency
Yusuff needed down the stretch was nowhere to be found, allowing
his opponent to stay in his comfort zone and cruise to another
victory.
Santos, 24, has won four fights in a row.
Further down the main card, ex-World Ertaymash Federation champion
Nursulton
Ruziboev boosted his stock with a unanimous decision over
Dustin
Stoltzfus in their three-round middleweight attraction.
Ruziboev (36-9-2, 4-1 UFC) carried all three scorecards: 30-27,
29-28 and 29-28.
Stoltzfus (16-7, 3-6 UFC) stayed competitive throughout with
takedowns, top control and submission attempts, but the difference
in horsepower on the feet was noticeable. Ruziboev survived a clash
of heads to control a majority of the first round and bloodied the
Frankers Fight Team rep’s nose with a perfectly placed uppercut in
the second. Stoltzfus turned up the heat across the final five
minutes, as he secured a takedown, climbed to full mount and
applied his ground-and-pound. It was not enough to turn the tide.
Ruziboev weathered the adversity and made it to the finish line,
leaving his fate to the judges.
The 31-year-old Ruziboev has won 12 of his past 13 bouts..
Finally, Melquizael
Costa weathered a late rally from Julian
Erosa and outpointed “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22
semifinalist to a unanimous decision in their three-round
featherweight firefight. All three cageside judges scored it the
same: 29-28 for Costa (24-7, 5-2 UFC), who has rattled off four
consecutive victories.
Erosa (31-12, 9-8 UFC) struggled to get out of the gate. Costa
dazed him with a Superman punch and a head kick in the first round,
then continued to punish the Xtreme Couture standout with a variety
of weapons. Erosa struck for a pair of takedowns in the middle
stanza and started to piece together meaningful offense, even as he
ate crescent kick and a flying knee from the ambitious Brazilian.
That set the stage for a wild Round 3. There, Erosa fought like a
feral cat and wore down the former Predador Fighting Championship
titleholder with merciless pace and a seemingly endless stream of
punches, kicks, knees and standing elbows. Costa managed to return
fire at times, waded through fatigue and kept the American at bay
long enough to nail down the decision.
The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for Erosa.
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