The MMA Daily

Preview

The Welterweight division plays host to an intriguing fight, as Alex ‘The Great White’ Morono takes on Mickey Gall. Since November of 2018, Morono has won six fights inside the octagon. Of those six, he has finished two opponents via knockout. One of which came in a signature win over Donald Cerrone. Meanwhile, Gall will return to the octagon for the second time in 2021. Coming off an impressive submission victory over Jordan Williams in July, Gall will seek his first winning streak since 2016.

Prediction

It’s crazy to think that Mickey Gall, who came into the UFC with a 1-0 professional record and was anointed as CM Punk’s first opponent, is still with the promotion five years later. Having skipped past the development and honing of skills on the regional scene and competing against the sharks of the UFC, is impressive. While Gall has traded wins and losses for the past five years, perhaps now is the time he makes a run. With excellent ground skills, Gall has won six of his seven victories via submission. While Gall has shown vast improvements in his striking, it’s not an area where I believe he can outpoint a striker like Morono. Especially considering Morono nearly doubles Gall in significant strikes per minute, while also having a legitimate power edge. The other factor aiding Morono is that he has shown to have the cardio to match his high output. Meanwhile, Gall has in the past faded by round three.

As for a prediction, I have Morono winning. I know that his takedown defense can be exploited and it’s very possible that Gall can drag him down to the mat. However, Gall’s cardio issues have been problematic before. In a fight against a high output striker with good cardio like Morono, come round three, Gall may be in for a tough time. So with that said, in a competitive fight, I have Morono winning via decision.