Issue 157

August 2017

JOSEPH MORALES

• From: Fresno, CA
• Age: 25
• Weight: 125lb
• Team: Team Alpha Male
• Record: 9-2-0

There was no way Joseph Morales was ever not going to be a professional mixed martial artist. Aged 10, he joined Urijah Faber’s Ultimate Fitness when its doors opened in Sacramento, California. He’s been there, training with some of the best fighters and coaches in the world, ever since.

“I was going to this small school in Sacramento and Urijah, before he was famous, was working there,” he says. “I wanted to start competing and trying out MMA and asked him where the best place to go was. He was opening up a gym and said we should check it out. I went over with my dad and I was the first kid to sign up at his gym. I’ve been with him for 12 years.

“I haven’t left, the gym’s great, the team’s awesome, they’re the best guys to train with and I’m just lucky to be at the best gym in the world. Urijah’s always been a huge mentor to me. If I’m going through anything, I can always ring him up. He’s like a big brother to me.”

There are few better places in the world to get an MMA education. Surrounded by elite fighters and coaches – and getting competitive experience from an early age – Morales was in the ideal environment to be molded into a successful fighter.

Not that it was easy. When you’re the smallest fish in a tank of sharks like Team Alpha Male, training will be tough. But it’s unlikely many had it as hard as this.

“I started sparring when I was about 12 with the 18-year-olds because there was nobody my size. That’s all I had growing up. When Joseph Benavidez came into the gym, I was his main training partner at 14 years old so I used to get my ass handed to me.”

His links to the team are made that much stronger by working in construction with Faber’s dad. One of their current projects is the new Ultimate Fitness gym. Morales has already spent more than half his life putting his blood, sweat and tears into Team Alpha Male and now he’s literally helping to build it up further. He’s its ultimate poster boy.

Of course, none of this would matter if he couldn’t fight, but getting thrown into deep waters before he was a teenager helped this youngster to swim more quickly. All that hard work and sparring beatdowns got him ready to compete early. He made his debut in WSOF just after turning 20 and has quickly turned into a fighter with a full set of skills.

He passed his toughest test to date last time out with a KO of Cage Fury Fighting Championships interim flyweight titlist Sean Santella. His previous win was a grueling 25-minute battle with Josh Paiva for the Global Knockout 125lb belt. It looks like he’s ready to join his teammates in the Octagon. “I just beat two really good, UFC-caliber guys, so I feel like I’m ready for the next step to go in,” he says. “Everyone’s ultimate goal is to get in there. If I wasn’t ready, I’d let you know, but I feel like I’m on that next step.”

THREE MORE TO KEEP AN EYE ON...

Tenshin Nasukawa

JAPAN

The next striking superstar? Three fights and three finishes in Rizin looked great and made fans in his home country go wild, but it’s worth noting his opponents have a combined record of 1-6. Still, this flyweight is only 18, so we’re happy to see him develop slowly.

Raufeon Stots

USA

The Roufusport product has shown it all on his way to the Victory FC bantamweight title. He’s got the vicious striking you’d expect from a product of that famous team, the submission chops to finish fights and the cage IQ to control UFC veterans for 15-25 minutes. That means he’s Octagon-ready.

Chad Curry

USA

After a defeat to Lando Vannata, this Minnesotan moved to 170lb and has been devastating. LFA commentator Michael Schiavello described him as “violence personified” and you can see why. He can take a punch and give them back with interest on the feet or on the ground.