UFC fighter remains undefeated after bizarre database controversy
Michael Morales’ is perfect once again.
The top welterweight contender found himself embroiled in a strange controversy on Tuesday when MMA database site Tapology alleged Morales’ undefeated record was no more after they unearthed a loss and an additional win on an Ecuadorian reality show in 2017. Morales responded on social media, “F*ck you, Tapology.”
On Wednesday, Tapology offered a clarification and an apology, restoring Morales to 19-0:
The statement continues as follows:
We add hundreds of fights daily to Tapology and try to evaluate them consistently. This is difficult to do given the different kinds of fights and circumstances that are sent our way. One category of fight that we have been getting far more strict about is EXHIBITION fights.
For the last several years we have been very restrictive about allowing fighters or leagues to claim exhibition status. It has become a loophole for keeping legitimate fights off of records. It allows fighters to compete in otherwise professional bouts without it counting. It had become increasingly difficult to explain why one scenario could count as exhibition but another couldn’t, and in almost all scenarios we felt the fights were all hard-fought, legitimate MMA contests.
As a result new events being sent to us, even if a reality show format, are generally not exempt from counting on Tapology win/loss record. This is the standard we applied to reviewing the ‘Ultimate Pelea’ events that we found footage of this week. What’s not fair and not consistent is that we are applying a roughly 2023-forward framework to a 2017 event. If this event had been reported to us in 2017, we would have certainly accepted it as exhibition at that time.
This is the crux of how we agree we were incorrect when we classified these yesterday. We apologize for the shit storm and we appreciate all the interesting feedback we received. Yes some of the feedback was fairly dumb. But some of it contained good and helpful arguments.
Longstanding MMA database site Sherdog had already issued its own statement Tuesday, saying it would not be altering Morales’ existing record.
The controversy swirled around Morales’ involvement in the reality show Ultima Pelea, which bears similarities to the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter program. Bouts on TUF are classified as pre-taped exhibitions and Ultima Pelea bouts appeared to be the same, but upon initial review, Tapology considered them to be pro bouts. In Wednesday’s statement, the site explained the main reason for going back on the change was that “What’s not fair and not consistent is that we are applying a roughly 2023-forward framework to a 2017 event. If this event had been reported to us in 2017, we would have certainly accepted it as exhibition at that time.”
Watch Morales’ Ultima Pelea loss below.
Regardless of any pre-UFC controversy, Morales is 7-0 in the promotion and currently vying for a shot at welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. Morales scored a first-round knockout of Sean Brady in his most recent outing at UFC 322 in November.
Category: General Sports
