'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last night's UFC event saw Michael Morales improve his record to 18-0 with his sixth win in the octagon. The welterweight prospect dispatched former title challenger Gilbert Burns via first-round TKO.
Michael Morales has long been seen as a high-level prospect at 170 pounds, but nobody can question the Ecuadorian now. So, who is next for him?
Thankfully, the UFC's welterweight division is loaded with talent, meaning it shouldn't be too difficult to find a good opponent for him.
So with a big fight no doubt on the horizon, what's next for Michael Morales?
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Michael Morales next fight: Who is next for the unbeaten welterweight prospect?
Michael Morales came into last night's bout ranked at No. 12 in the welterweight division. Given Gilbert Burns sat four spots above him at No. 8, likely, the Ecuadorian will now leapfrog him to break into the top 10 next week.
Trending
It was hard not to be wowed by the performance of Morales last night. Not only was the bout his first ever UFC headliner, but he dispatched Burns with absolute ease, barely breaking a sweat.
'Durinho' did come into the fight on a three-fight losing streak, but it wasn't like he'd been losing badly. Morales was only the third man to ever finish him at 170 pounds, following former champ Kamaru Usman and current champ Jack Della Maddalena.
It's clear from this, then, that Morales should be considered a legitimate title contender in the division now. He's already taken out tough gatekeeper Neil Magny, and this win over Burns was another step up the ladder.
It's only fair, then, to give the Ecuadorian a fighter likely to be ranked above him next time out.
Of those fighters, we can rule out Della Maddalena, Usman, and Joaquin Buckley, as those three have their next fights booked. It's also highly unlikely that the UFC would throw Morales in with former champ Belal Muhammad just yet.
That leaves three tantalising names: Sean Brady, Ian Machado Garry, and Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Any of the three would work. Brady's stifling grappling and submission game would offer Morales a test he hasn't faced yet. Rakhmonov is a finisher just as lethal as the Ecuadorian. Machado Garry has shown he can beat flashy finishers, as he outpointed Carlos Prates earlier this month.
It's for that reason that 'The Future' might be the best opponent to match with Michael Morales next.
Essentially, Brady is the No. 1-ranked fighter in the division, while Rakhmonov has already lost out on two title shots due to injuries. It's only fair, then, to match them against one another to decide who faces Della Maddalena or Islam Makhachev.
Machado Garry, meanwhile, lost to Rakhmonov last December, which should put him behind the others in the queue.
More to the point, the Irish fighter would be likely to test Morales in ways that nobody else has yet. If the Ecuadorian could find a way past him, it'd be a sign that he's not only a contender, but could be a future champion.
Therefore, Michael Morales vs. Ian Machado Garry is the fight to make next.
