Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales closed out an entertaining, and at times surprising, UFC Vegas 106 on Saturday.
The welterweight fight had originally been booked for UFC 315, but weeks out was shifted, pushed back a week to headline the Fight Night card when no other options presented themselves. It was a first main event spot in the UFC for Morales, his first five-rounder period, should it actually go that long.
This, on a night that saw the co-main event cancelled all of 30 minutes out from the fight. And on a night where Patchy Mix, Bellator MMA bantamweight champ, was announced as having signed with the promotion.
Burns opened the UFC Vegas 106 main event with a leg kick that landed with an audible crack. Moments later, Morales answered in kind, though the impact (or at least the sound of it) was noticeably muted in comparison. From there, Burns circled, showed good footwork, and looked to punch his way in. Yet when Morales went on the attack, his footwork was just a little better, his punches just a little crisper. And Burns found himself under heavy fire late in the round as Morales began landing wild, looping lefts and rights. A blow to the side of the head, a right hook, put Burns on the canvas, though he covered up, moved, and got between Morales’ legs. That earned Burns a brief reprieve, but it didn’t last. Instead, Morales lit him up again, dropped him, and added a few extra strikes to seal the deal.
Easily the biggest win of his career for Michael Morales, who improves to 18-0. He’ll soon find himself in the title conversation alongside Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry – and, of course, Islam Makhachev.
Official Result: Michael Morales def. Gilbert Burns by TKO, Round 1, 3:39
