UFC 319: Alibi Idiris vs Joseph Morales

At UFC 319 on Saturday, August 16, 2025, Joseph Morales secured a significant victory by submitting Alibi Idiris with a triangle choke in the second round of their flyweight bout, which served as the finale for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 33. The event took place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, and Morales’s win was a notable upset, as he entered the fight as a 3-to-1 underdog against the undefeated Idiris.

The fight commenced with both fighters engaging aggressively. Morales applied early pressure, while Idiris attempted a flying knee that transitioned into a clinch. Morales capitalized on a trip, bringing Idiris to the mat. Despite Idiris’s efforts to escape, Morales maintained control, advancing to mount and threatening with a rear-naked choke as the round concluded.

In the second round, Morales continued his dominant performance, cutting off the cage and targeting Idiris’s body. A slip by Idiris allowed Morales to seize the opportunity, taking Idiris’s back and securing a triangle choke submission at 3:04 of the second round.

Morales’s victory marks his return to the UFC after a previous stint from 2017 to 2018, where he went 1-2. He earned his spot in the finale by defeating Eduardo Chapolin and Imanol Rodriguez during the season. Morales’s performance in the finale was particularly notable, as he overcame the undefeated Idiris, who had entered the bout with a perfect 10-0 record.

The fight was the opening bout of the preliminary card and set the tone for an exciting night of MMA action. Morales’s submission victory not only secured him the TUF 33 flyweight title but also earned him a spot back in the UFC’s flyweight division.