Michael Morales stuns Adam Fugitt for a nasty third-round TKO

UFC 277 presents Ecuadorian candidate Michael Morales with his toughest test yet.

Michael Morales advanced to 14-0 with a third-round TKO over Adam Fugitt UFC277. The 23-year-old Ecuadorian prospect joined them ufc in 2021 after an impressive performance in Dana White’s Contender Series.

Four months later, Morales made a statement in his UFC debut against Trevin Giles. In his second UFC fight, the Ecuadorian took on UFC newcomer Fugitt. The 33-year-old came out as a living dog.

Despite being a +445 underdog, Fugitt closed the distance midway through the first lap and landed a nice outside trip that put Morales on his back. Morales survived the ground attack and faced Fugitt in the second and third rounds.

Throughout the third round, Morales stayed composed despite unrelenting forward pressure from Fugitt. Morales started opening and landed a sneaky inside combo that dropped Fugitt. The Ecuadorian prospect smelled blood and ended the fight in the third round.

Is Michael Morales the dark horse at welterweight?

Morales is now just 23 years old and 14-0, with 12 finishes after his UFC 277 win ESPN+. The Contender Series prospect has now taken on two consistent opponents who have pushed him to the limit. Morales’ composure shows he’s ready for the next step in his UFC journey.

Welterweight is quickly being taken over by the next generation in Sean Brady and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Morales has made himself a welterweight dark horse. The question is who is next for the Ecuadorian?

Morales has now fought twice in 2022 and could fight again later in the year. Both of his UFC fights have been pay-per-view and that’s unlikely to change. Only time will tell if Morales can become the first Ecuadorian UFC champion.

UFC 277: Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes takes place live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Follow FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.