Michael Morales Defends His Undefeated Record

Michael Morales is eager to assert the legitimacy of his undefeated record.

On Tuesday, the record-tracking site Tapology disclosed that Morales, who holds an unblemished record of 19-0 according to the UFC, actually faced a loss during the Ecuadorian series Ultima Pelea, which is similar to The Ultimate Fighter. Tapology reports that Morales achieved one victory and one loss on the show, adjusting his overall record to 20-1.

This revelation incited considerable debate across social media, prompting Morales to respond decisively via Instagram.

Morales stated in Spanish, “I am going to hit injustice right in the face. F*ck you, Tapology,” accompanied by a laughing emoji and a middle finger emoji.

According to Tapology, even though the fight was part of a pre-recorded television series, they maintain that “The rules and structure of the fights meet our criteria of professional MMA.” This clarification adds layers to the confusion surrounding the rules and nature of Ultima Pelea, especially since it is compared to TUF, whose fights are deemed exhibitions and do not count toward a fighter’s professional record.

Record-keeping site Sherdog later affirmed that they would not alter Morales’ record. The debate about fight classifications extends beyond Ecuador, as seen with fighters like Bryce Mitchell, who was officially 9-0 despite having lost in a TUF match.

For now, Michael Morales will still be recognized as 19-0 in the MMA Fighting records. A recent update from Tapology revealed they will revert Morales’ record to 19-0 and consider the Ultima Pelea matches as exhibitions, acknowledging their previous misclassification.