UFC welterweight prospect Michael Morales gets a chance to make a statement Saturday against veteran Max Griffin.
Morales fights Griffin at the Apex in an event headlined by Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov, where prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and the main card starts at 7 p.m. Damir Ismagulov and Grant Dawson will also fight in the co-main event.
Morales is a hefty -250 favorite.
UFC Fight Night: Morales vs Griffin Betting Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Michael Morales | -250 |
| Max Griffin | +200 |
Odds as of June 28
Per our odds calculator, a $100 bet on Morales at -250 odds (71.43% implied chance) pays out $140. The same $100 on Griffin at +200 (33.33% implied chance) pays out $300.
How To Watch UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov
Don't worry fight fans, this is our last Fight Night before an excellent pay-per-view at UFC 290.
- Date/Time: July 1, 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Arena: UFC Apex
- Where to Watch: ESPN, Cable Provider
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov Full Card & Betting Odds
Here's Saturday's lineup in Vegas.
- Main Card
- Middleweight Main Event – Sean Strickland (-138) vs Abus Magomedov (+110)
- Lightweight – Damir Ismagulov (-125) vs Grant Dawson (+100)
- Welterweight – Max Griffin (+200) vs Michael Morales (-250)
- Women's Flyweight – Ariane Lipski (+180) vs Melissa Gatto (-220)
- Lightweight – Benoit Saint-Denis (+250) vs Ismael Bonfim (-334)
- Middleweight – Bruno Ferreira (-175) vs Nursulton Ruziboev (+150)
- Prelims
- Welterweight – Kevin Lee (+170) vs Rinat Fakhretdinev (-200)
- Women's Featherweight – Yana Santos (+140) vs Karol Rosa (-170)
- Women's Flyweight – Ivana Petrovic (-220) vs Luana Carolina (+180)
- Featherweight – Joanderson Brito (-1200) vs Westin Wilson (+700)
- Heavyweight – Alexandr Romanov (-138) vs Blagoy Ivanov (+110)
- Lightweight – Guram Kutateladze (-600) vs Elves Brener (+450)
Odds as of June 28
Michael Morales vs Max Griffin Tale Of The Tape
| Fighter | Max Griffin | Michael Morales |
| Age | 37 | 24 |
| Record | 19-9 (7-7 UFC) | 14-0 (2-0 UFC) |
| Avg. Fight Time | 12:41 | 10:05 |
| Reach | 76" | 79" |
| Sig. Strikes Per Minute | 4.23 | 5.36 |
| Sig. Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 3.87 | 4.10 |
| Takedowns Per 15 Minutes | 1.60 | 1.98 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 50% | 40% |
| Takedown Defense | 71% | 86% |
Morales vs Griffin Preview: Who Will Win?
I think this Morales will hand down a slick beating of his washed-up opponent. Here's how it happens.
How Morales Wins
The 24-year-old is a super sound fighter. The Ecuadorian might be young, but he's been fighting since he was a teenager, and his composed boxing fundamentals translate well into the UFC Octagon.
Naaah, lo de Michael Morales en UFC es brutal! pic.twitter.com/mbVBtM10LP
— Manuel Rizzo (@marizzo001) July 31, 2022
Morales is sharpest as a striker — and he can demolish people with punches — but he's well-versed enough to survive in other realms of MMA. In his last fight, Adam Fugitt tested him off his back, and while Morales was slow to get him, the kid recovered and blasted back for a stoppage win.
He wins Saturday by remaining calm, trusting he's the better fighter — which he is — and zeroing in on his game plan.
How Griffin wins
Griffin's fought some nasty opponents lately (Tim Means, Neil Magny, Carlos Condit), so he won't fear Morales in the slightest.
"Pain" can win by chopping at Morales' legs (the kid can get a little flat-footed) and wrestling him to death. Do I think this will happen? I won't be betting on it, but Griffin has 14 UFC fights (7-7 record) under his belt.
Michael Morales vs Max Griffin Pick
Griffin has been finished once in 14 UFC fights. That's quite impressive, especially for a guy who lacks superstar abilities. I'll bet Morales beats the brakes off him for 15 minutes but doesn't necessarily earn a stoppage.
