Michael Morales has set his sights on a specific opponent following a dominant performance at UFC Vegas 106.
A new contender has emerged in the welterweight title picture, and his name is Michael Morales. Stepping into his first-ever UFC main event, Morales delivered a decisive first-round finish against former title challenger Gilbert Burns on Saturday, maintaining his perfect record in his burgeoning mixed martial arts career.
Morales is part of a wave of exciting young talent reshaping the UFC`s welterweight division. Alongside names like Carlos Prates and Shavkat Rakhmonov, Morales is certainly one to watch in the coming years.
Fresh off the biggest win of his fighting career, Morales expressed a desire to face one of the division’s top contenders, who he claims was involved in an incident with several of his teammates at the UFC Performance Institute (PI).
Michael Morales Targets Ian Machado Garry After First-Round Stoppage
During a recent interview on *The Ariel Helwani Show* after UFC Vegas 106, Morales was asked about his next desired opponent and immediately called out Ian Machado Garry.
“Ian Garry, I want to beat him up, I don’t like him,” Morales stated.
He elaborated on his reasons: “I believe he’s been very disrespectful with fighters that I admire, like Belal [Muhammad] or [Neil] Magny. They don’t deserve to be disrespected. I think he talks a lot.”
Morales also referenced the alleged incident at the PI: “One time he had some problems in the PI with some people I know, and when I found out, I wanted to see what he was doing, but he wasn’t there…so I want to shut him up.”
Garry, who is a key training partner of Gilbert Burns, was quick to address Morales`s comments. Garry denied any altercation with Morales`s teammates at the UFC PI, expressing confusion regarding the claims. However, Morales appears determined to fight Garry, partly to potentially settle scores on behalf of his colleagues.
Ian Machado Garry Responded to Jack Della Maddalena`s Personal Remarks
Garry has also been involved in other recent controversies. Most notably, UFC champion Jack Della Maddalena drew widespread criticism for questioning the paternity of Garry`s son following UFC 315. This bizarre accusation quickly circulated on social media after Maddalena`s title victory over Belal Muhammad.
Garry swiftly responded to Maddalena`s personal attacks, describing the champion as `immature` in a subsequent conversation with Ariel Helwani. Garry recently secured a win over Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City and could position himself for a potential title shot with another victory.
Meanwhile, Maddalena is reportedly being considered for a highly anticipated superfight against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev later this year. Makhachev is expected to vacate the lightweight title at UFC 317, where Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria are slated to compete for the vacant belt.
