Alex Morono and Carlos Leal, UFC 313 ceremonial weigh-in Credit score: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Welterweights Alex Morono and Carlos Leal confronted off on the UFC 313 preliminary card, with each fighters in want of a win.
PFL vet Leal had come up brief in opposition to Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC 308 late final 12 months, a battle that many prompt Leal had received – regardless of the judges awarding a unanimous choice within the different path. Morono for his half had misplaced two straight, placing his again in opposition to the wall.
Leal was trying to choose up his first victory contained in the UFC, having confronted world class competitors outdoors the promotion.
Leal marched ahead to begin the battle making use of strain early on Morono, who was combating off his again foot. With Morono in opposition to the fence Leal landed a knee within the clinch, whereas additionally attacking the physique. Morono elected to wing wild proper fingers to try to get Leal off of him. Leal began to open up throwing devastating combos at Morono, together with knees and elbows to the pinnacle. The longtime UFC veteran Morono was doing the whole lot he might to maintain the ferocious assault of Leal off of him, however couldn’t overcome the quantity and depth of his Brazilian counterpart.
Strolling ahead with no sense of a menace coming again at him, Leal landed deadly pictures to Morono in opposition to the fence. Leal put collectively a violent battle ending mixture throwing a brief elbow on the within, following up a flurry of hooks forcing Morono to cowl up. Revered referee Keith Peterson known as an finish to the competition as Morono might now not defend himself.
Leal picked up his first victory within the UFC profitable by TKO within the first spherical. In his put up battle interview with Joe Rogan, Leal acknowledged that he believes he’s “2-0” contained in the octagon. After a controversial choice loss to Russian powerhouse Rinat Fakhretdinov, Leal has put the remainder of the division on discover with this breakthrough win.
Official Outcome: Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono by TKO (punches), Spherical 1, 4:16
