LAS VEGAS – Sergey Morozov beat Khalid Taha with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 26 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Morozov, who got back in the win column after a submission loss in his UFC debut in January.
Morozov on the fight’s key moment
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 17: (R-L) Sergey Morozov of Kazakhstan punches Khalid Taha of Germany in their bantamweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 17, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
“Nothing surprised me. My coach and team analyzed him very well. I was ready for everything. Even if I was making any mistakes in the fight, my team was telling me what to do. I listened to them and followed my game plan.
“Our game plan was to start with grappling and wrestling, make him tired and then try to finish the fight. But he was tough and it was hard to finish him. All my respect to my opponent, Khalid Taha, because he has a really good chin. I landed very good shots and I could see I wobbled him, but he never lost his concentration and recovered pretty quickly.”
Heavy shots landing in RD 2! 👊#UFCVegas31 pic.twitter.com/jkluZZfz63
— UFC (@ufc) July 18, 2021
Morozov on confidence
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 17: (L-R) Khalid Taha of Germany punches Sergey Morozov of Kazakhstan in their bantamweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 17, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
“As soon as the fight was over, even before the judges’ scorecards, I was confident I was going to win because I was better in the striking, in the wrestling. He landed a couple shots, but overall I dominated the fight.”
Morozov on what he wants next
“I’m ready to fight anyone. First, I want to go home, see my family and then I’ll be back to the U.S. for my camp for sure. I want to fight again before the end of the year.”
To hear more from Morozov, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.