Alex Morono not interested in chasing names, instead sets sight on hitting 20 UFC wins

DALLAS – Alex Morono’s approach to his career is different than most fighters.

The veteran welterweight isn’t necessarily out to chase the UFC title or even any specific names to climb up the rankings. Morono (22-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) is mainly focused on reaching personal milestones, and for him, that means getting to 20 UFC wins.

“(I’d fight) whoever really. My goal is not who, but it’s the quantity,” Morono told reporters during his UFC 277 post-fight news conference. “I’d like to hit fight No. 20. Actually, you know what? Not fight No. 20, but win No. 20.

“So I need nine more wins in there and then win No. 20. The vets are always fun because they’re not going to be around forever. No names in particular. No disrespect, but if I can catch a vet, that would be cool.”

Morono picked up his 11th win inside the UFC and 22nd professional win overall at UFC277 by outpointing Matthew Semelsberger in a hard-fought battle. The 31-year-old was proud of his performance despite not finishing his opponent.

“I planned on just doing damage, and I banked on going all three rounds,” Morono said. “I always look for the finish, and I cracked him with some right hands, and he didn’t even budge.

“And it’s funny, the first shot that hurt him, I hit him with a jab, and that staggered him. It’s just hard to rush in there. … He was tough. Going into the third, I thought they could stop it because his eye was swollen shut, but you can never bank on that stuff. … That was a fun fight. I always look for the finish, but finishes come with styles, and that guy had a hard style to put away. He’s a brute.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 277.