16-0 Ecuadorian Michael Morales extends undefeated streak despite nasty groin kick from Jake Matthews

The UFC Vegas 82 results included a victorious night for Michael Morales who continued his undefeated run in the promotion.

In the co-main event of the fight card, Morales faced off against Jake Matthews in a welterweight scrap on November 18. The fight took place at the UFC Apex Facility in Enterprise, Nevada.

Prior to the fight, Morales was riding an impressive 15-fight win streak which included three UFC victories. Matthews, on the other hand, was coming off a submission win against Darrius Flowers at UFC 291.

At one point in the fight, Matthews landed a brutal yet accidental groin kick against Morales which led to the fight being paused. But the Ecuadorian bounced back from adversity and went the 15-minute distance with Matthews.

The fight went to the scorecards and Michael Morales was declared the winner via unanimous decision. The three judges scored the contest 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 in favor of the 24-year-old.

With the victory, Morales extended his undefeated record to 16-0.

In a short period, Michael Morales has caught the attention of several MMA fans and is being considered one of the most promising prospects in the UFC today.

After building a professional record of 11-0, the 24-year-old made an appearance on Dana White's Contender Series in September 2021. He faced off against Nikolay Veretennikov and defeated him via unanimous decision. The victory earned him a chance to compete in the UFC.

The Ecuadorian made his promotional debut In January 2022 when he went up against Trevin Giles at UFC 270. The fight was a short-lived affair as Morales scored a first-round knockout.

After that, he went on to score victories against Adam Fugitt and Max Griffin.

Now, with his fourth UFC victory against Jake Matthews, Michael Morales has sent a strong message to the 170-pound division. With a couple more wins, the Ecuadorian could soon break into the top 15 UFC welterweight rankings.