The Ultimate Fighter 33 winner Daniil Donchenko entered his first non-TUF UFC battle at UFC Vegas 113 on Saturday, where he took on Alex Morono.
Ukraine’s Donchenko had won five straight pro bouts (plus two exhibition contests on TUF), giving him a good head of steam coming into Saturday. Morono had lost three straight, and was in must-win territory.
The bout served as the UFC Vegas 113 featured prelim.
Donchenko wasted no time getting to work in the fight, backing Morono up, and firing leg kicks. He next fired off a combination, and punctuated it with a leg kick that took Morono’s legs right out from under him. Donchenko was all pressure early, with Morono working outside, circling, and trying to stay light on his feet despite having one knee wrapped. Donchenko was able to sneak in a kick to the body, though Morono slipped the next punch. Morono fell short on a front kick. Donchenko touched the leg again.
Late in the round, Donchenko had Morono busted open and in trouble. Morono wound up on his back, face bloodied, dropped off a left and throwing up an arm-bar out of sheer desperation. The ref took a good look, and Morono rolled just in time to avoid a stoppage. Was in trouble again, and rolled again.
Round two saw Morono fall to his back off the very first leg kick. Donchenko wisely let him up. When he fanned on another kick, Morono’s movement was too labored to take advantage. Instead, it was Donchenko back in control, driving Morono back into the fence. Morono would escape and survive, but his legs continued to be chopped at, forcing a switch in stances.
Alex Morono’s continued survival, while admirable, was doing nothing to win him the fight. And as round three got underway, with Donchenko’s calf kicks a continued threat and Morono’s movement compromised, it was clear that Morono’s path to victory had been all but eliminated. Morono did work his jab, and fired off a surprisingly fluid spinning kick, but hit only air. Morono was going to need to land something unexpected, and fight-ending, if he had any hope of winning. Donchenko, now bloodied from a few good jabs, never really seemd to be in danger however. Morono would briefly have a clinch, but couldn’t do much with it.
Donchenko would turn up the heat late, but couldn’t put the veteran Morono away. Still, the Ukrainian cruised to a lopsided victory at UFC Vegas 113.
Official Result: Daniil Donchenko def. Alex Morono by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
