LAS VEGAS – Michael Morales 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.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.
