Alex
Morono displayed an outstanding finishing instinct at
UFC on ESPN 24.
Once Morono staggered Donald
Cerrone with a massive overhand right, he swarmed for the
finish on his reeling foe, unloading with a barrage of strikes
while “Cowboy” attempted to cover up near the fence. With Cerrone
basically out on his feet, referee Marc Goddard
had no choice but to step in at the 4:40 mark of Round 1.
That fact that the stoppage victory came against such a well-known
foe was the icing on the cake.
“It feels good just putting my literal handiwork out there—boxing,
kickboxing and getting knockouts. That’s just been a perpetual life
goal,” Morono said. “I’ve come so close in so many fights, cracking
dudes and dropping dudes. I hadn’t quite found the standing finish.
I got it today over a man I admire greatly, more than almost anyone
else on the roster. That goal was accomplished. I’m very
satisfied.”
Morono is well aware that it can be a matter of inches between
landing the knockout blow or seeing one’s opponent survive, so
that’s why he was thrilled to hit his mark effectively in
Saturday’s co-main event.
“I wanted to finish and that’s when things get wild,” he said.
“There’s a bit of a fate that exists in MMA in terms of where
punches land. Sometimes they’re deflected or your range is just an
inch off. I just wanted to find a good shot. I hit him with the
right and staggered him. He collected himself a bit and then I hit
a big right hook. I’d been working on a lot of clinch uppercuts and
just went to that.”
The 31-year-old Fortis MMA product has been in the UFC since 2016,
collecting wins over veterans such as Kyle Noke,
Joshua
Burkman and Max Griffin
along the way. In Morono’s mind, none of those opponents measure up
to the popular Cerrone. In fact, there aren’t many fighters in the
promotion where a victory would have meant more to “The Great
White.”
“I’ve been in the UFC for a while now. I’m just in it for the
martial arts lifestyle. Of course, it was a big win for me. Other
than Conor, Cowboy is probably the most recognizable fighter in the
UFC,” Morono said.
“Cowboy’s iconic. He’s awesome and the fight was awesome. It was an
honor.”