Undefeated 170-pound contender Michael Morales has jumped four spots to #8 in the updated UFC Welterweight Rankings.
This comes after the Ecuadorian’s destructive Round 1 knockout of former UFC Welterweight Title challenger Gilbert Burns this past weekend at the UFC Apex.
Michael Morales Jumps To #8 In Latest UFC Welterweight Rankings
Following his destructive Round 1 knockout win against Gilbert Burns this past weekend at UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Morales, Michael Morales has jumped up four places in the latest UFC Welterweight Rankings.
Burns is of course a former UFC Welterweight Title contender, with this win firmly putting the rest of the 170-pound division on notice.
Going into the toughest fight of his career against the Brazilian, Morales was ranked #12 at welterweight. He had only had five fights in the UFC, winning them all.
Now, he has won six out of six in the UFC after another impressive display last time out. In fact, the 25-year-old has showed that he more than belongs at world level, dealing with Burns better than anyone has in recent times.
Now, Morales has jumped four spots and has been officially ranked at #8 in the updated rankings. He has leapfrogged Burns as well as climbing above Geoff Neal, Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington.
Now, Morales will have his sights firmly set on the Top 5 in the welterweight division. He will need another few wins before people are talking about the Ecuadorian as a genuine title contender, but that could happen within the next 12 months.
If Michael Morales continues on his current trajectory, we could be talking about a future UFC champion and MMA phenom in the next few years. Of that there is no doubt.
Who Will Michael Morales’ Next Fight Be Against?
Now that he has shot even further up the UFC Welterweight Rankings, fans are already talking about who they want to see Michael Morales fight next.
The 18-0 undefeated welterweight contender has won each of his six UFC fights since impressing on Dana White’s Contender Series. Of these six wins, four of them have come via emphatic knockout.
Now, Morales has his sights firmly set on the Top 5 in the 170-pound division. Some of the names still ranked above him include the likes of Ian Garry, Joaquin Buckley, Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Sean Brady, Belal Muhammad and of course the champion Jack Della Maddalena.
Of these names, the fights that make the most obvious sense next for the 25-year-old are Edwards, Usman, Buckley and perhaps even Garry too.
Buckley and Usman clash in a few weeks time so Morales will certainly have one eye on that fight, potentially fighting the loser. Ian Garry is fresh off an impressive win last time out, so that fight makes total sense too.
A bout with former champion Leon Edwards would be incredible for the Ecuadorian. If he was able to get that fight and even beat ‘Rocky’, he would be right into the title picture for a shot in 2026.
However, Morales will have to bide his time and put another few wins together before he can even think of a UFC Welterweight Title shot.
Islam Makhachev’s next fight sees him challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the title, having confirmed he would be stepping up from 155-pounds to fight the new welterweight king.
Time will tell what Morales’ next move it and who he will face next. He certainly has plenty of options!
