Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at American Albert Morales as he takes on TUF Latin America finalist Jose Quinonez at Fight Night 94 in Hidalgo, Texas. Albert “The Warrior” Morales Hometown: Reseda, California Age: 25 Height: 5’9” Reach: 71” Weight Class: Bantamweight Camp: Systems Training Center Career Record: 6-0 Key Wins: None Key Losses: None Background The Bellator, World Series of Fighting and RFA veteran has only six fights to his name, but has looked very good out of the gate finishing five of his six opponents. He carries an undefeated record into his UFC debut. Strengths
- Powerful striker
- Steps into his strikers and throws with conviction
- Aggressive both on the feet and on the mat
- Nonstop when in top position
- Transitions well on the ground into different submission attempts
Weaknesses
- Over aggressiveness can lead to losing positions on the mat
- Susceptible on the feet to a good counter striker
- Can be hit with a counter left
Match-up against Alejandro Perez An interesting debut fight for Albert Morales against TUF Latin America Season One winner Alejandro Perez. Morales is a big bantamweight as he’ll have a four inch reach advantage in this bout and that could very well be a key factor in this bout. Perez has pretty good takedown defense, so I don’t expect Morales to bring this fight to the ground. On the feet, Morales will certainly be the aggressor and he fights at a strong pace that will have Perez on the back foot. Perez is comfortable as a counter striker which makes this is an interesting contest. I think this fight comes down to the power difference between the two strikers. Morales, dropping down from featherweight, packs heavy hands and is sure to be one of the bigger hitters in this weight class. His size and physicality will be tough for Perez to match. It’s generally tough to side with a fighter making his UFC debut, but in this case I like the bigger, stronger, more powerful striker. Morales can win either by knockout or by landing the bigger shots in this fight. At a pickem (-110), Morales is worth a small bet to earn a win in his UFC debut. UFC Ceiling Albert Morales may have limited fight experience, but he has done well to fight in the biggest promotions in the United States outside of the UFC. For a relatively inexperienced fighter, he has a well-rounded game. He’s an aggressive striker with very good power. He combines that with solid grappling and a nice transition game. Given his physical stature and nature, he could do very well in the bantamweight division. He may need to move to a bigger camp to make the leap towards the top 15 of the weight class, but physically there’s no reason he can’t do well right away in the UFC. Fight Film Check out Albert Morales in some of his most recent fights: Albert Morales vs. Mario Israel Albert Morales vs. Kurt Weinrich