Outside Source
The Team Alpha Male rep on Tuesday put himself within arm’s reach of an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract with a three-round split decision over Imanol Rodriguez in “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 33 flyweight semifinals at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Two of the three assigned judges sided with Morales, who awaits Idiris Alibi in the 125-pound final.
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“I planned on being in the finale. I did it,” Morales said. “A lot of respect for Imanol. He was tough as s—. I left no doubt in that cage. I can trade with the best of them. I’ve got no quit in me. We’ve got one more fight left.”
Rodriguez proved to be a difficult maze to navigate. Morales executed a takedown inside the first 90 seconds, progressed to the back and secured his position with a body triangle, at which point he piled up significant control time without exacting much damage. Rodriguez responded to the adversity. The promising 25-year-old Mexican prospect leaned into his jab in the middle stanza, cracked Morales with crisp punching combinations and battered his body with hooks from both hands. However, he conceded a takedown late in the period and allowed Morales to reassert himself.
The third round served as something of a showcase for Rodriguez’s all-terrain skills and long-term potential. He completed a quick takedown, jumped to the back and bit down on a body triangle of his own. Morales had no answers. Rodriguez stayed attached to his back for nearly four full minutes, all while scoring with ground-and-pound and occasionally threatening the neck. Morales drew upon his guile and experience to steer clear of danger, left his fate to the judges and saw his efforts rewarded.
The setback was difficult for Rodriguez to stomach.
“I don’t know if I have the words to describe how I feel right now,” he said. “Honestly, I thought I won. At the end of the day, it only matters who wins or loses, and this time, it was my turn to lose.”
Only one semifinal remains, as Team Sonnen’s Matt Dixon squares off with Team Cormier’s Daniel Donchenko for the right to face Rodrigo Sezinando in the 170-pound final.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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