Alex Morono
Alexander Quincy Morono (born August 16, 1990)[1] is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently fights as a welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[4] A professional competitor since 2010, Morono has also fought for Legacy Fighting Championship, where he was Welterweight Champion.[6]
Alex Morono | |
---|---|
Born | Alexander Quincy Morono[1] August 16, 1990 Houston, Texas, United States |
Other names | The Great White |
Nationality | American |
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
Division | Middleweight Welterweight |
Reach | 73 in (185 cm) |
Stance | Orthodox |
Fighting out of | Houston, Texas, United States |
Team | Gracie Barra The Woodlands (2007–present)[2] Fortis MMA (2018–present)[3] |
Trainer | Sayif Saud[3] |
Rank | 1st degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[4] under Alex Gotay[5] Black belt in Taekwondo under Matt Wald[4] |
Years active | 2010–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 26 |
Wins | 18 |
By knockout | 5 |
By submission | 6 |
By decision | 6 |
By disqualification | 1 |
Losses | 7 |
By knockout | 2 |
By decision | 5 |
No contests | 1 |
Other information | |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Background
Morono was born and raised in Houston, Texas, alongside three brothers.[7] Alex's parents bought him a membership to LA Boxing gym where he began training in 2007, eventually noticing a jiu-jitsu class in the premises. He went on to join the class and was instantly hooked to the discipline.[7] Morono also holds a professional kickboxing record of 1–0. Morono also cited The Matrix as inspiration for getting into MMA.[8]
Morono earlier had the nickname of 'Baby Fedor' before he got 'The Great White' nickname after a sparring session.[9]
Mixed martial arts career
In 2010, Morono began competing in Legacy Fighting Championship amateur series, amassing a record of 3–0–1.[10]
Later that same year, Morono made his professional MMA debut, winning 21 seconds into the first round by armbar.[10]
On December 4, 2015, Morono won the Legacy Fighting Championship Welterweight Championship with a first-round guillotine choke over Derrick Krantz.[11]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Morono stepped in on just over a week's notice to face Kyle Noke replacing an injured Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 195.[6] Morono was awarded a split decision victory.[12]
Morono was expected to face James Moontasri on October 15, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 97.[13] However, the promotion announced on October 6 that they had cancelled the event entirely.[14][15] In turn, the pairing was quickly rescheduled and eventually took place on December 17, 2016 at UFC on Fox 22.[16] Morono won the fight by unanimous decision.[17]
Morono was expected to face Sheldon Westcott on February 4, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 104.[18] However, Westcott pulled out of the fight in early January and was replaced by Niko Price.[19] He lost the fight via knockout at the end of the second round;[20] however this was later overturned to a no contest after Price tested positive for marijuana.[21]
Morono faced Keita Nakamura on September 23, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami.[22] He lost the fight by split decision.[23]
Morono faced Joshua Burkman on February 18, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 126.[24] He won the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round.[25]
Morono faced Jordan Mein on July 28, 2018 at UFC on Fox 30.[26] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[27] After the loss, Morono decided to change camps, joining Fortis MMA.[3]
Morono faced Song Kenan on November 24, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 141.[28] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[29] The win also earned him the Fight of the Night bonus.[30]
Morono faced Zak Ottow on March 9, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 4.[31] He won the fight via verbal submission due to elbow strikes in the first round.[32]
Morono faced Max Griffin on October 12, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 19.[33] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[34]
Morono was scheduled to face Dhiego Lima on February 8, 2020 at UFC 247.[35] However on January 22, 2020, Lima was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a neck injury,[36] and he was replaced by Khaos Williams.[37] He lost the fight via knockout in round one.[38]
Morono faced Rhys McKee on November 14, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. dos Anjos.[39] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[40]
Morono faced Anthony Pettis at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal on December 19, 2020.[41] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[42]
Personal life
Morono and his wife Janice co-own the Gracie Barra The Woodlands gym.[43]
Championships and achievements
- Legacy Fighting Championship
- LFC Welterweight Championship (one time)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (one time) vs. Kenan Song[30]
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown | ||
26 matches | 18 wins | 7 losses |
By knockout | 5 | 2 |
By submission | 6 | 0 |
By decision | 6 | 5 |
By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
No contests | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 18–7 (1) | Anthony Pettis | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal | December 19, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 18–6 (1) | Rhys McKee | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. dos Anjos | November 14, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 17–6 (1) | Khaos Williams | KO (punches) | UFC 247 | February 8, 2020 | 1 | 0:27 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Win | 17–5 (1) | Max Griffin | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson | October 12, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Tampa, Florida, United States | |
Win | 16–5 (1) | Zak Ottow | TKO (submission to elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos | March 9, 2019 | 1 | 3:34 | Wichita, Kansas, United States | |
Win | 15–5 (1) | Song Kenan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2 | November 24, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Beijing, China | Fight of the Night. |
Loss | 14–5 (1) | Jordan Mein | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 | July 28, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | |
Win | 14–4 (1) | Josh Burkman | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros | February 18, 2018 | 1 | 2:12 | Austin, Texas, United States | |
Loss | 13–4 (1) | Keita Nakamura | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami | September 23, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
NC | 13–3 (1) | Niko Price | NC (overturned) | UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. Korean Zombie | February 4, 2017 | 2 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | Originally a KO (punch) win for Price; overturned after he tested positive for marijuana. |
Win | 13–3 | James Moontasri | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson | December 17, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
Win | 12–3 | Kyle Noke | Decision (split) | UFC 195 | January 2, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 11–3 | Derrick Krantz | Submission (guillotine choke) | Legacy FC 49 | December 4, 2015 | 1 | 4:29 | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | Won the LFC Welterweight Championship. |
Win | 10–3 | Valdir Araújo | KO (punch) | Legacy FC 44 | August 28, 2015 | 3 | 2:18 | Houston, Texas, United States | Return to Welterweight. |
Win | 9–3 | Marcus Andrusia | TKO (punches and elbows) | Legacy FC 42 | June 26, 2015 | 1 | 3:18 | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States | Catchweight (180 lb) bout. |
Win | 8–3 | Rashid Abdullah | Submission (triangle choke) | Fury Fighting 4 | February 13, 2015 | 1 | 1:36 | Humble, Texas, United States | Catchweight (175 lb) bout. |
Win | 7–3 | Larry Hopkins | TKO (punches) | Fury Fighting 2 | October 24, 2014 | 1 | 0:44 | Humble, Texas, United States | Middleweight debut. |
Loss | 6–3 | Diego Henrique da Silva | TKO (punches) | Legacy FC 31 | June 13, 2014 | 1 | 1:55 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Win | 6–2 | Rashid Abdullah | DQ (illegal bite) | Texas City Throwdown 1 | March 14, 2014 | 3 | 0:10 | Texas City, Texas, United States | |
Loss | 5–2 | Rob Wood | Decision (split) | Fury Fighting 1 | November 1, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Humble, Texas, United States | |
Win | 5–1 | Brandon Farran | Submission (armbar) | Legacy FC 18 | March 1, 2013 | 1 | 1:16 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Win | 4–1 | Rashon Lewis | TKO (punches) | Legacy FC 10 | February 21, 2012 | 1 | 4:02 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Win | 3–1 | Evert Gutierrez | Decision (unanimous) | Legacy FC 8 | September 16, 2011 | 3 | 3:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Loss | 2–1 | Jeff Rexroad | Decision (split) | Legacy FC 6 | April 9, 2011 | 3 | 3:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Win | 2–0 | Mark Garcia | Submission (armbar) | Legacy FC 5 | January 29, 2011 | 1 | 0:41 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Win | 1–0 | Jose Castro | Submission (armbar) | Triple A: Promotions | December 2, 2010 | 1 | 0:21 | Laredo, Texas, United States |
References
- Mixed martial arts show results Date: November 14, 2020
- "Meet Janice Morono of Gracie Barra The Woodlands". voyagehouston.com. February 13, 2020.
- Matt Erickson (October 13, 2019). "Alex Morono credits Fortis MMA for resurgence, calls out Dhiego Lima after UFC Tampa". mmajunkie.com.
- "Alex Morono - Official UFC Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- "About — Gracie Barra The Woodlands". mmathewoodlands.com. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- "Welcome to the UFC, Alex Morono". bloodyelbow.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016.
- Dan Kuhl (July 24, 2018). "UFC on Fox 30's Alex Morono: Coming Full Circle". combatpress.com.
- Karim, Saiyed Adeem (2020-11-06). "Alex Morono names movie which got him hooked into the world of MMA". Media Referee. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
- Karim, Saiyed Adeem (2020-12-18). "Alex Morono explains how he got 'The Great White' nickname in training". Media Referee. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
- "Alex Morono". sherdog.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016.
- "Alex Morono Guillotines Derrick Krantz, Grabs Welterweight Championship at Legacy 49". sherdog.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016.
- Ben Fowlkes (2016-01-02). "UFC 195 results: Alex Morono upsets 4-1 favorite Kyle Noke on 11 days' notice". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-01-02.http://mmadecisions.com/decision/6721/Alex-Morono-vs-Kyle-Noke
- Staff (2016-09-03). "Moontasri vs. Morono, Yang vs. Janes announced for UFC Fight Night 97". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- Staff (2016-10-06). "UFC Fight Night Manila: Lamas vs. Penn to be rescheduled". ufc.com. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
- Staff (2016-10-06). "After B.J. Penn's withdrawal, UFC cancels next week's UFC Fight Night 97 event in Philippines". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
- Brian Martin (2016-10-17). "James Moontasri vs. Alex Morono added to UFC on Fox 22". whittierdailynews.com. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
- Ben Fowlkes (2016-12-17). "UFC on FOX 22 results: Alex Morono rallies, finishes in dominant form against James Moontasri". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-12-17.
- Staff (2016-12-24). "Alex Morono vs. Sheldon Westcott added to UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
- Staff (2017-01-24). "Niko Price replaces Sheldon Westcott at UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
- Steven Marrocco (2017-02-04). "UFC Fight Night 104 results: Niko Price puts Alex Morono away with KO at Round 2 buzzer". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
- "Three UFC Houston fighters pop for marijuana". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- Dann Stupp (2017-08-06). "Slew of bouts official for UFC Fight Night 117 in Japan". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
- "UFC Fight Night 117 results: Keita Nakamura takes split from Alex Morono in bloody fight". MMAjunkie. 2017-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
- "Joshua Burkman vs. Alex Morono added to UFC Fight Night 126 in Austin". MMAjunkie. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
- "UFC Fight Night 126 results: Alex Morono taps out Josh Burkman, calls out Diego Sanchez". MMAjunkie. 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
- Staff (2018-04-27). "UFC on FOX 30 official for Calgary, eight fights added to lineup". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
- "UFC on FOX 30 results: Jordan Mein outworks Alex Morono with takedowns for decision". MMAjunkie. 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
- DNA, MMA (2018-10-19). "Thuisfavoriet Kenan Song treft Alex Morono tijdens UFC Beijing". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
- "UFC Fight Night 141 play-by-play and live results". MMAjunkie. 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
- Jon Fuentes (2018-11-24). "UFC Beijing Bonuses: Ngannou & Jingliang Bank $50k For Finishes". lowkickmma.com. Retrieved 2018-11-24.
- DNA, MMA. "Welterweightclash tussen Alex Morono en Zak Ottow tijdens UFC Wichita". Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- Hiergesell, Dan (2019-03-09). "UFC Wichita Highlights! Morono Scores Vicious TKO Finish Over Ottow". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
- Morgan, John (2019-08-13). "Max Griffin vs. Alex Morono added to UFC on ESPN+ 19 in Florida". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
- Doherty, Dan (2019-10-12). "UFC Tampa Results: Alex Morono Survives Late Push from Max Griffin in Great Fight". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- Staff (2019-12-05). "Alex Morono fights in front of his own audience during UFC 247 in Houston against Dhiego Lima". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2019-12-05.(in Dutch)
- Guilherme Cruz (January 22, 2020). "Neck injury forces Dhiego Lima out of UFC 247 fight with Alex Morono". mmafighting.com.
- "Kalinn Williams makes UFC debut against Alex Morono during UFC 247 in Houston" (in Dutch). mmadna.com. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- Bitter, Shawn (2020-02-08). "UFC 247 Results: Kalinn Williams Stuns Crowd With Quick Finish Over Alex Morono". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
- "Welterweights Rhys McKee, Alex Morono set for UFC on ESPN+ 41 showdown". MMA Junkie. 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- Doherty, Dan (2020-11-14). "UFC Vegas 14 Results: Alex Morono Overwhelms Rhys McKee". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- "Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Morono Joins UFC Vegas 17". Cageside Press. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- Anderson, Jay (2020-12-19). "UFC Vegas 17: Anthony Pettis Has Late Surge to Secure Win Over Alex Morono". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- Alex Morono wants to test Rhys McKee with an ugly, dirty fight. November 1, 2020.
- Sherdog.com. "Alex". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-10-12.