It was nearly seven years between UFC fights for Joseph Morales, but he refused to let his second opportunity slip away.
In the UFC 319 preliminary card opener Saturday, Morales (13-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) dominated the heavy favorite Alibi Idiris to win “The Ultimate Fighter 33” flyweight tournament. Morales submitted Idiris (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) by triangle choke at 3:04 of Round 2. The event took place at United Center in Chicago.
Morales, 30, defeated Eduardo Chapolin and Imanol Rodriguez to reach Saturday’s final. Although those two bouts were exhibitions, Morales was 3-0 in professional bouts since his UFC departure in 2018. Morales went 1-2 in his first UFC stint but was shown the door after two-straight losses.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 319 results include:
- Joseph Morales def. Alibi Idiris via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:04
