Michael Morales is Wasting his UFC Career - Opinion

Michael Morales is a phenomenal talent and possibly the best welterweight on the planet. Undefeated at 19-0 with 14 TKO/KO finishes, the 27 year old is a problem for everyone at 170lbs.

The issue is, he's too inactive. Since gaining a contract on the Contender Series in 2021, he's had just seven fights. He's been out of action since November 15th 2025 having suffered no notable injuries. He is wasting some of his prime years and we are all aware that his days at welterweight are numbered. The choice to not fight regularly could come back to bite Morales, who, as things stand, is wasting his significant talent.

Inactivity

We already told you that Michael Morales has had just seven fights in his UFC career thusfar. When that is broken down further, it's even more worrying.

He had two fights in 2022, two fights in 2023 and one fight in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Yes, all three of those performances earned him a post fight bonus, but there's no reason as to why we aren't seeing him more regularly in the octagon.

If he's waiting for the right fight, he could be waiting a long time. In a stacked welterweight division, activity is everything and others will leapfrog him if he continues to be inactive.

Comparisons

Ranked #3 in the welterweight division, we have to look at the activity of others in the same time frame in different divisions.

#3 middleweight Nassourdine Imavov had two fights in 2023, three in 2024 and two in 2025. This has put him on the brink of a title shot towards the end of this year.

#3 light heavyweight, Jiri Prochazka has been extremely active, having six fights and being scheduled for a seventh since 2023.

Taking this past weekend's main event winner, Bredan Allen as a prime example. He should be on the brink of a title fight as he's enjoying an impressive four fight winning run. Prior to his last win, there were questions as to whether he should sit out and wait for a title shot, however, he remained active, fought the #10 ranked guy and is now becoming inevitable.

Potential Next Fights

The longer Michael Morales sits on the sidelines, the more likely the division is going to pass by him. The fight to make is Ian Machado Garry. The Irishman came up short in his title challenge and needs a big fight himself to stay in the picture. It would provide both men with a tough test in all areas of MMA and the winner will cement themselves as title worthy.

The UFC may also choose to go down the killer vs killer route and match Morales with Carlos Prates. Although the Brazilian appears to be next for the champion, might the UFC match him with Morales to truly see who the #1 contender is?

Outside of those two fights, few fights make sense. Could he welcome Shavkat Rakhmonov back to the division and put undefeated killer vs undefeated killer against each other? There's a chance, but why would the UFC kill off an undefeated prospect when they could allow both men to grow and a fight further down the line be even bigger?

Whatever happens next, we need to see Michael Morales again soon.