Following his dominant victory at UFC Vegas 106, Michael Morales has set his sights on a particular opponent in the welterweight division.
Michael Morales is quickly emerging as a significant contender in the welterweight ranks. Headlining a UFC event for the first time in his career, Morales secured an impressive first-round finish against former title challenger Gilbert Burns on Saturday, thereby maintaining his undefeated record in mixed martial arts.
Morales is part of a new generation of promising fighters making their mark in the UFC`s welterweight class. Alongside athletes like Carlos Prates and Shavkat Rakhmonov, he is widely considered a potential future title contender.
After achieving the most significant win of his fighting career to date, Morales expressed a clear desire to face one of the division`s top contenders, who allegedly had an altercation with some of Morales`s teammates at the UFC Performance Institute (PI).
Morales Calls Out Ian Machado Garry After UFC Vegas 106 Victory
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show after his win at UFC Vegas 106, Morales was directly asked who he wanted to fight next. He didn`t hesitate in naming Ian Machado Garry as his target.
“Ian Garry, I want to beat him up, I don’t like him,” Morales stated.
He further explained his reasoning: “I believe he’s been very disrespectful to fighters I admire, like Belal Muhammad and Neil Magny. They don’t deserve such disrespect. I think he talks too much.”
Morales added, “One time he had issues at the PI with some people I know, and when I found out, I went to see what was happening, but he wasn’t there… so I want to shut him up.”
Garry was quick to respond to Morales’s comments. As a prominent teammate of Gilbert Burns, Garry was undoubtedly paying close attention to the events that unfolded at UFC Vegas 106.
Garry denied having any physical confrontation with a teammate of Morales at the UFC PI and expressed confusion regarding Morales’s accusations. Despite Garry`s denial, Morales appears determined to face him to stand up for his associates.
Separate Controversy: Garry Addresses Jack Della Maddalena`s Comments About His Son
In related news, Garry also had a public exchange with UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena leading up to UFC 315. During the UFC 315 media day, Garry’s son reportedly approached Maddalena to offer him some candy while the champion was cutting weight, which Maddalena declined.
However, following his title victory over Belal Muhammad, Maddalena made a peculiar accusation on social media questioning the paternity of Garry’s son, which drew significant attention.
Garry quickly addressed Maddalena’s personal comments in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, labeling the champion`s remarks as `immature`. Garry recently defeated Carlos Prates and is considered a strong contender for a future title opportunity.
