- Ranked welterweight contenders Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales headline the UFC Fight Night card on May 17.
- The event will take place inside the APEX Center in Las Vegas.
- Burns is the +500 betting favorite, while Morales is the -715 betting underdog.
MMA action continues this weekend, as ranked UFC welterweight contenders Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales will headline the UFC Fight Night card on May 17, which goes down inside the APEX Center in Las Vegas.
Due to his perfect pro record, Morales heads into the match as the betting favorite with -715 UFC odds, while Burns, despite being higher in the rankings, will be the +500 betting underdog at the BetMGM sportsbook.
Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales Odds
- Gilbert Burns: +500
- Michael Morales: -715
Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales: Prediction
I predict that Morales will win by TKO/KO finish against Burns because of his incredible power with his strikes, which will be amplified by his longer reach (8 inches) and leg reach (1 inch).
Additionally, Morales is 13 years younger than Burns, which means he will be more explosive and athletic during the match. Although Burns has the superior grappling skills that he can utilize, Morales’ physicality can overpower him in scrambles and clinch battles.
If this match were made three or four years ago, this could have been a different story because Burns was in his prime, and he has some of the best jiu-jitsu skills throughout the entire UFC roster, and he can easily take any contender down to the canvas.
However, since Burns is now well out of his prime and Morales is a surging contender, I think that the Ecuadorian athlete could score a TKO/KO stoppage victory because he’s much faster and more accurate than the former UFC welterweight title contender.
Gilbert Burns’ Recent Fight Results
Burns is an 11-year UFC veteran who made his promotional debut in July 2014 with a unanimous decision win over Andreas Stahl. After that impressive first fight, he went on to compete in the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
The Brazilian MMA star eventually became a welterweight title contender in February 2021 against Kamaru Usman, but came up short with a third-round TKO loss. Since that championship defeat, Burns has only won three of his next seven fights and is currently on a three-fight losing skid.
Michael Morales’ Recent Fight Results
Morales was an undefeated prospect when he joined the Dana White Contender Series, and he earned his roster spot in his very first match in the competition with a unanimous decision win over Nikolay Veretennikov in September 2021.
Following that outstanding win, Morales swept all his assignments inside the octagon and defeated Trevin Giles, Adam Fugitt, Max Griffin, and Jake Matthews. His most recent victory was against Neil Magny last August via first-round TKO finish.
Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales: Tale of the Tape
| Gilbert Burns | Michael Morales | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 38 | 25 |
| Height | 5’10” | 6’0” |
| Reach | 71 inches | 79 inches |
| Leg Reach | 40 inches | 41 inches |
| Record | 22-8 | 17-0 |
| Fighting Style | Brazilian jiu-jitsu | Striker |
| Finishing Rate | 68% | 76% |
Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales Fight Card
- Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales, welterweight match
- Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig, light heavyweight match
- Sodiq Yusuff vs. Mairon Santos, lightweight match
- Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Nursulton Ruziboev, middleweight match
- Julian Erosa vs. Melquizael Costa, featherweight match
- Gabe Green vs. Matheus Camilo, lightweight match
- Jared Gordon vs. Thiago Moises, lightweight match
- Luana Santos vs. Tainara Lisboa, women’s bantamweight match
- Elise Reed vs. Denise Gomes, women’s strawweight match
- Hyunsung Park vs. Carlos Hernandez, flyweight match
- Tecia Pennington vs. Luana Pinheiro, women’s strawweight match
