Vince Morales rejoins promotion, as man on mission

It’ll be 679 days between UFC fights for Vince Morales, however he’s made it again.

Two-plus years, 5 fights and 4 finishes later, Morales (16-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) has signed for a short-notice bout on Sept. 28 vs. Taylor Lapilus (20-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) at UFC Combat Night time 243 in Paris.

“It’s a very long time coming,” Morales instructed MMA Junkie on Friday. “I’m attempting to take issues in stride. I’m probably not attempting to push my narrative as I’m again, as a lot as I’m right here now. I believe it’s a special mindset and it’s a special skillset I’m going to have the ability to present that’s going to be turning heads slightly bit in a different way than previously.

“That’s as a result of Vince Morales is a bit more free now as a fighter. I’m simply in there to battle fights, to not simply win fights or not lose fights.”

Vince Morales hits a Peruvian Necktie to grab the UFL bantamweight strap from Hunter Azure within the third spherical. What a sub. BEAUTIFUL #UFL5 pic.twitter.com/VVWrhVAisJ

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) August 31, 2024

It’s a troublesome feat to make the UFC. It’s even more durable to make it twice, however Morales has finished that. A modified Peruvian necktie submission over fellow UFC alum Hunter Azure pushed him over the end line, attracting a name from matchmaker Sean Shelby.

Morales, 33, hopes to rebrand the precise sub-genre of Peruvian neckties “the Vinchuvian necktie,” one thing he thinks could possibly be completed if he hits it within the UFC.

“A bunch of individuals despatched me like 4 totally different variations which can be all actual related,” Morales stated. “There was the caveman necktie, the Gamburyan necktie, the Texas necktie, the Armenian necktie. It was an entire bunch of various issues. Subsequent factor, I used to be like, ‘I’m going to go lookup and see who’s acquired them in competitors.’ I discovered zero. I used to be like, ‘Cool, I get it. I name dibs.’ So I may need to hit it once more within the UFC on an even bigger stage.”

Flashy finishes apart, Morales is aware of he’s taking a step up – to a stage he thinks is the place he belongs. He’ll be the primary to confess his eight-fight UFC tenure from 2018 to 2022 didn’t spotlight his greatest skills. He went 3-5 throughout that point.

However outdoors the promotion, he’s tweaked his mindset, which he pointed to as the primary factor holding him again.

“(Being launched from the UFC) didn’t actually change the objectives,” Morales stated. “It simply modified the place I used to be doing them. I’m going on the market to battle and beat folks up. For now, I may need to be doing it elsewhere. However on the plus aspect, I can truly work some issues within the fitness center within the battle. Within the fights within the UFC, it’s exhausting to actually develop, particularly when you get in underneath 10 fights.

“We’re nonetheless form of determining who we’re and the way we battle. I took that as alternative to catch my breath and go work some issues. I combined in some wrestling. I attempted to work another areas in my sport that I believe wanted to come back out within the battle and never simply the fitness center. The proof is within the pudding.”