Michael Morales improved his finishing percentage once again Saturday when he stopped promotional newcomer Adam Fugitt with punches at UFC 277.
The stoppage came at the 1:09 mark of the final round on the prelims at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Morales (14-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has two finishes in as many UFC appearances. This one played out in a similar method to his previous one. Morales tagged Fugitt (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a combination that sat his opponent down.
Fugitt briefly recovered back to his feet and tried to clinch Morales in range. However, Morales moved in and out of the pocket and dropped Fugitt again. Referee Herb Dean saw enough and dove in to save Fugitt, who still grabbed for a leg despite his disorientation.
THE BACKFLIP AFTER THE FINISH 💪
Stream #UFC277 tonight on @ESPNPlus 🔜 https://t.co/0GQpkhwBKG pic.twitter.com/WYGvD7nKEE
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 30, 2022
Morales now has 12 finishes in 14 professional fights. His other UFC win came by knockout against Trevin Giles in January.
Fugitt had a four-fight winning streak snapped. He was the biggest underdog on Saturday’s card. He took the UFC 277 bout on short notice after Ramiz Brahimaj withdrew due to injury.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 277 results include:
- Michael Morales def. Adam Fugitt via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:09
- Joselyne Edwards def. Ji Yeon Kim via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
- Nicolae Negumereanu def. Ihor Potieira via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:33
- Orion Cosce def. Blood Diamond via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
