“I’d like to think that,” said Morales, who is 10-5 overall as a pro and a lot better than those numbers would indicate. Luckily, the UFC and fight fans understand that a 10-5 record in MMA and a 10-5 record in boxing are two entirely different things.
“That’s a weird thing I think about every now and then because I do feel like I have a lot of overwhelming support and then I look on paper,” he said. “I grew up in the boxing world a little bit, so I know what we’re talking about when I look at people’s records and stuff like that. And I’m like, ‘Wow, these many people still believe in me when I’m 2-3 in the biggest show.’ They must know that I’m still growing. Let’s get to work then.”
These days, the work gets done with the Syndicate MMA squad in his new hometown, and while he’s putting in long hours in the gym, he’s not afraid of that hard work.
“For me, it almost seems like it’s never enough,” said Morales. “I’m kind of obsessed with the growth process behind martial arts and what that brings for us. I like to find these new ways to grow not only my skill set because as I’m doing that, I’ve learned a little bit more about myself. As I go into each one of these fights, I learned something different about myself in there. It’s all part of the growth, and from where I’m at, I’m not even half grown yet. So I’m just trying to continue the process, get better and see what else I can do with this.”
Getting to .500 in the UFC is step one. What happens after that is a mystery, but if the past is any indication, it’s going to be another chapter for a story that’s been memorable thus far, and one Morales isn’t taking for granted.
“My girlfriend does a good job of bringing the light on that,” he said. “Every now and then, we sit back at the end of a long day and reflect, and it’s crazy the places that MMA has brought us and that’s kind of what connected us. She was born in Japan and raised in England, and we met in Boise, Idaho because of MMA. So that brought us together, and MMA has taken me all over the world and I’ve gotten to see so many cool things and meet so many great people. It’s literally everything I could ask for.”
He laughs.
“Except for maybe a few more wins.”
Don’t miss any of these fighters on the rise this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo, live from the UFC APEX on ESPN+. Prelims begin at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Main card begins at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
