Sanchez's replacement against Cerrone, Morono planet knocks out veteran in the third round

A. Morono (left) agreed to replace D. Sanchez in the fight against D. Cerrone (right), at UFC Vegas 26. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Even accepting the commitment to replace Diego Sanchez in the fight against Donald Cerrone last minute, 'pessimism' is not a word that exists in the dictionary of alex morono. Inserted in the co-main fight of the UFC Las Vegas 26, which takes place this Saturday (8), the North American shows respect to the 'Cowboy', but, when the gong rings, the story changes. In an interview with 'BJPenn.com', the athlete spoke about the challenge.

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“Cowboy is dangerous, by far, the best striker I've ever faced. He's funny because his game on the ground is undeniably better than his game on the feet. It will be a tough fight and I have to be ready for the fight”, said Morono.

Although Donald is not experiencing the best moment of his career, Alex knows he cannot waver in front of a living legend of the sport. The North American then analyzed how he imagines the dispute will go.

“I hope there are some grappling transitions. It'll be fun. I'm in shape. My conditioning is good. I'm hoping for a points victory, but I believe I can get a knockout in the third round. If it’s the judges’ decision, that’s fine, but I think I can finish it sooner”, he concluded.

Without fighting since December 2020, Morono comes from a defeat to Anthony Pettis, in the duel that sealed 'Showtime's' participation in the UFC. In his last five fights, the American has three wins and two losses.

Former UFC lightweight title challenger (up to 70,3kg), Donald, 38, will step into the octagon under pressure for a positive result. Without winning in five fights, the 'Cowboy' wants to prove that, even with a lot of 'running' and damage accumulated over his 15-year career and more than 50 appearances in the sport, he is still capable of delivering a good show to the organization.