Alex Morono flies under the Ultimate Fighting Championship radar as well as anyone.
As Morono makes final preparations for his forthcoming clash with Buckley at 170 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:
Derrick Krantz
Morono walked away with the Legacy Fighting Championship welterweight title when he disposed of the Team 515 export with a guillotine choke in the first round of their LFC 49 main event on Dec. 4, 2015 at Diamondjacks Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana. Krantz conceded defeat 4:29 into Round 1. Before the guillotine fell, “D-Rock” seemed headed for a landslide victory. He executed multiple takedowns, climbed to mount and opened a cut underneath Morono’s right eye. The punishment was not enough of a deterrent. Morono returned to his feet against the visibly fatigued champion, let his hands go and forced Krantz to dive on an ill-advised takedown. In an instant, the arm-in guillotine was place, with no escape to be had. The tapout followed not long after the fighters hit the mat.
Anthony Pettis
The former World Extreme Cagefighting and Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder overcame an inauspicious start, put some of his otherworldly skills to use and picked up a unanimous decision over Morono in the featured UFC Fight Night 183 prelim on Dec. 19, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges sided with Pettis, casting 29-28 scorecards in his favor. Morono capitalized on an early slip in the first round, pounced on the Roufusport cornerstone, progressed to the back and bloodied his nose in the process. Pettis withstood his efforts, called upon his deep reservoir of experience and took advantage of the one-minute respite between rounds. “Showtime” slowly seized control with superior strikes in the middle stanza, but he saved his best for Round 3. There, in the final minute, he connected with a spinning wheel kick that set Morono on wobbly legs. A finish did not materialize, but Pettis’ message had been sent.
Donald Cerrone
Morono on May 8, 2021 cut down “Cowboy” with punches in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 24 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Cerrone succumbed to blows 4:40 into Round 1. Morono was the instigator from start to finish, as he stayed busy with punches and occasional kicks. Cerrone answered with body kicks, clinches and jabs but never managed to force the Texan to change course. Morono wobbled him with an overhand right and gave chase with punches and knees along the fence before electing to briefly reset late in the first round. He then sent Cerrone careening into the cage with another clean right hand and unleashed a burst of follow-up shots until referee Marc Goddard had seen enough. It remains the highest-profile victory of Morono’s career.
Santiago Ponzinibbio
“The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 2 semifinalist took out Morono with punches in the third round of their UFC 282 catchweight feature on Dec. 10, 2022 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The end came 2:29 into Round 3. Ponzinibbio focused his efforts on the body and lead leg but struggled to string together meaningful offense through the first 10 minutes. A short-notice replacement for Robbie Lawler, Morono scored with clean one-twos, body kicks and well-hidden overhand rights. Ponzinibbio picked up his pace in Round 3, then turned the tide in a blink with a devastating right cross. The impact froze Morono where he stood and reduced him to little more than a sitting duck, as his American Top Team-trained counterpart hurdled toward him. Ponzinibbio uncorked another right hand behind the ear, dropped the former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder at the base of the cage and finished him there. The setback snapped Morono’s run of consecutive wins at four.