A backup fighter for the UFC welterweight title fight between champion Islam Makhachev and challenger Ian Machado Garry has been tabbed.

UFC 330 takes place on August 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The main event features Makhachev vs. Machado Garry for the UFC welterweight title, while the co-main event features UFC women’s strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson.

Michael Morales Tabbed as UFC 330 Backup Fighter

Just in case anything happens to Makhachev vs. Machado Garry, the UFC has entrusted a backup fighter for the event.

According to undefeated Ecuadorian welterweight contender Michael Morales, he will weigh in as the backup fighter for the UFC 330 main event.

“Either I’m going to be a replacement in this fight between Islam and Ian Garry, or I’ll fight one more time against whomever. They’re saying (Carlos) Prates, others are saying another fighter in the same division, but I said whatever they want. But I’m still going to make weight for August 15th. … I’m still going to show up to make weight and, well, with my luck, if God allows it and they let me fight that day, we’ll be there fighting for the title. But whatever happens, happens,” Morales told Carlos Contreras Legaspi (h/t MMAjunkie.com).

Michael Morales is a Welterweight Stud

Just 27 years old, Morales is a welterweight stud who has an unbeaten record of 17-0.

He joined the UFC in 2022 after winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, and since then, he is 7-0 in the Octagon, with notable wins over Sean Brady, Gilbert Burns, and Neil Magny. Out of his 17 career victories, 15 wins have come by knockout or submission.

Currently, Morales is ranked as the No. 3 welterweight contender in the Meta UFC Rankings, putting him behind the No. 2 contender, Garry, and the No. 1 contender, Carlos Prates.

Morales deserves a title shot right now, but the problem is that Machado Garry has been waiting a long time for his shot, so he got it first. But Morales is right there with Prates for the next welterweight title shot, and the fact that he is going to be the backup fighter bodes well for how the UFC views him.

Being the backup is not a guarantee that Morales will fight for the belt at UFC 330, but if anything happens to Makhachev or Machado Garry, he will be the man who steps into the title fight, so he will make weight and hope for the best.