Preview: UFC 270 Prelims

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Welterweights

NR | Michael Morales (12-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. NR | Trevin Giles (14-3, 5-3 UFC)

ODDS: Morales (-130), Giles (+110)

Morales might be the most intriguing of the prospects the UFC signed off of the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series. An Ecuadorian training out of Mexico, Morales is relatively new to facing a decent level of competition, but he showed plenty of tools in his contract-earning win over Nikolay Veretennikov, taking his time to read his veteran opponent and pick up steam for what wound up as a one-sided decision win. It was an impressive performance even before factoring in that Morales is just 22 years old, with a long frame for the welterweight division. There is still a lot for him to work on, but the level of poise he has shown and how far he has already come gives him a ridiculously high ceiling. For his first proper UFC bout, Morales takes on Giles, who is an interesting talent in his own right. Since his late-notice UFC debut in 2017, Giles has shown impressive flashes as a strong wrestler and a hard hitter. However, “The Problem” has struggled to maximize his physical gifts, in part due to his overconfidence. He will wrestle when it is an ill-advised idea, as he did in his 2019 submission loss to Gerald Meerschaert, or stay much too defensively lax on the feet, which got him knocked out by Dricus Du Plessis in his most recent bout. Giles makes the cut down to welterweight here, which is an interesting gambit. The UFC has put him in a rough position, as Morales is still the longer fighter. Giles could get a lot done, particularly in the early going as his opponent feels things out, but between the size advantage, the underdog’s lack of defense and Morales’ all-around game, the UFC newcomer should be able to gain some momentum sooner rather than later. The pick is Morales via decision.

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