LAS VEGAS – Michael Morales has time on his side, and plans to take full advantage of his position in the UFC as a young, rising welterweight.
On the main card of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 47, Morales (14-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) steps into the cage to face veteran Max Griffin. The event takes place at the UFC Apex and airs live on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
There’s an experience edge in this one for Griffin (19-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC), who will be entering his 15th bout under the UFC banner. On the other hand, the 24-year-old Morales will step into the UFC’s octagon for just the third time.
“I think his experience is his biggest advantage, someone that has seen a lot in the UFC,” Morales said through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “He comes in wanting to win and so am I. I’m not going back down. It’s a great opportunity to have such an experienced fighter for me to continue to improve in the UFC.”
Despite signing with the UFC at a young age after his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, Morales doesn’t feel pressured to shoot up the rankings quickly, even if successful against Griffin. Instead, his focus is on a steady improvement so he may have a long, successful career.
“I know I have a long way to go, and I never thought that I would be in the UFC at 21 years old,” Morales said. “So I do feel I can improve all the time, and I want to continue to improve. I feel like I can keep doing this for a long time in my career, going into 50 years old.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 47.
