Vince Morales was happy when Miles Johns stepped up on short notice to fight him.
Morales was supposed to face Jose Johnson, which is a fight Morales didn’t want. He and Johnson have trained in the past and have become close which also includes them playing video games with one another. So, when he pulled out and Johns replaced him at UFC Vegas 65, Morales was excited.
“I’m really stoked that Miles Johns stepped in and stepped up because as far as UFC tenure goes we are in that same position. He’s a tough fight, I’m pretty pumped,” Morales said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com.
When Morales fights Johns, it will be a new-look Johns as he switched camps and is now working under James Krause. However, Morales doesn’t expect drastic changes in how Johns fights but is surprised he took a short-notice fight.
“I imagine he will be a little more tactical with a few things, that tends to be Krause’s approach,” Morales explained. “At its core, we are still dealing with the same issues, he’s a good wrestler who hits hard. I’m not overthinking it one way or another. Unfortunately for him, after making a new camp I think it’s always best to have a full training camp.”
With Vince Morales not expecting a different Miles Johns, he is excited for this fight as he believes the two are very similar. He knows both of them can wrestle but also like to strike so he’s expecting a very fun fight for the fans.
“I think we will both meet in the middle and find right hands. The first person to do it will hurt the other person. I think it’s a good fight, we match up well,” Morales said. “I plan on being the person to dictate things based on pace, but it’s a great fight… I’ve shown glimpses of greatness and I’m looking to do those on a more regular basis and do something spectacular.”
If Morales does go out there and get his hand raised, he knows beating Johns does a lot for him.
“It puts me right back to where I was when I fought Jonathan Martinez. Just right outside those top-20 guys and hopefully someone right outside or maybe in the top-15 next year. Just continue to climb the ladder,” Morales concluded.
Who do you think will win at UFC Vegas 65, Vince Morales or Miles Johns?