Michael Morales had to survive a rough first round to outlast Max Griffin in their welterweight clash.
As one of the featured undercard bouts on the UFC on ESPN 47 card, the veteran Griffin came out with intent as he put his younger opponent on the defensive. A big right hand from Griffin later in the first caused visible swelling on Morales’ right eye, though he managed to weather the storm.
Morales flipped the script in round 2. After recovering from the rough first round, Morales connected with a right hand that nearly crumpled Griffin and had him on unsteady legs. By the end of the second round, the momentum had shifted completely as Morales was landing at will and Griffin had nothing left.
A stoppage wouldn’t come in the third, but Morales won that round handily as well.
All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Morales, who showed flashes of brilliance and danger all the same. A bigger striker than Griffin would have been able to have taken him out early on. While he did recover well, that has more to do with his 37-year-old opponent emptying his ammo than his resilience.
Either way, Morales should be a fun add-on for future cards. With the win, Morales moves to 15-0.
Griffin drops to 19-10 following the loss.
