# Alex Morono
**Alex Morono** (Alexander Quincy Morono, born 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist from Houston, Texas who competes at welterweight in the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) (UFC), where he fights under the nickname "The Great White".[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894) • [2](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/16353-alex-morono) He turned professional in December 2010, won the Legacy Fighting Championship welterweight title in 2015, and joined the UFC on short notice in January 2016.[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/) • [4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, Houston, Texas, United States[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894) |
| Division | Welterweight (170 lb); height 5'11" (180 cm), reach 72 inches[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894) • [2](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/16353-alex-morono) |
| Professional record | 24-13-0 with 1 no contest; 6 wins by KO/TKO, 7 by submission, 10 by decision, 1 other[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894) |
| UFC record | 13-10-0 with 1 no contest; UFC debut January 2016[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/) |
| Teams | Fortis MMA and Gracie Barra The Woodlands, Texas; coached by Sayif Saud[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537) |
| Ranks | Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes; black belt in taekwondo[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537) |
| Notable streaks | Four-fight UFC win streak (2021-2022); 11 first-round finishes in his career[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/) • [5](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/alex-morono?language_content_entity=en-aus&page=2) |
## Background and training
Morono was born in Houston and began his combat-sports path in taekwondo, in which he holds a black belt, before adding [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/brazilian-jiu-jitsu), in which he holds a black belt under Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537) He trains at Fortis MMA in Texas under Sayif Saud, alongside stablemates including [Abdul Razak Alhassan](https://www.edgepedia.org/abdul-razak-alhassan), Diego Ferreira, Geoff Neal, and [Ryan Spann](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-spann), and is affiliated with Gracie Barra The Woodlands.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537) • [1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894) He has said he started training because he was a fan of the sport and that he likes fighting veterans for that reason.[6](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/5/11/22429737/alex-morono-i-can-thank-fabias-weirdness-for-getting-me-this-opportunity-vs-donald-cerrone)
## Regional career and UFC debut
Morono made his professional debut on December 2, 2010 after a 2-0 amateur career.[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/) • [5](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/alex-morono?language_content_entity=en-aus&page=2) On December 4, 2015 he captured the Legacy Fighting Championship welterweight title by submitting Derrick Krantz with a guillotine choke 4:29 into the first round of their LFC 49 main event in Bossier City, Louisiana.[7](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Rivalries-Alex-Morono-191270)
Less than a month later he made his Octagon debut at [UFC 195](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-195), serving as a short-notice replacement for [Kelvin Gastelum](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelvin-gastelum) and winning a split decision over Kyle Noke.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537)
## UFC career
Morono has spent a decade in the UFC, compiling a 13-10-0 record with 1 no contest and spending 4 hours 44 minutes 47 seconds of octagon time.[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/) His most prominent victory came on May 8, 2021, when he stopped former lightweight and welterweight title challenger [Donald Cerrone](https://www.edgepedia.org/donald-cerrone) with punches 4:40 into the first round of their UFC on ESPN 24 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas; Sherdog describes it as the highest-profile win of his career.[7](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Rivalries-Alex-Morono-191270)
**Peak and decline.** Between 2021 and 2022 Morono put together a four-fight winning streak, his longest in the UFC, and reached a career-high quarterly ranking of #22 at welterweight on October 1, 2021.[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/) The streak ended at [UFC 282](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-282) on December 10, 2022, when [Santiago Ponzinibbio](https://www.edgepedia.org/santiago-ponzinibbio) stopped him with punches 2:29 into the third round.[7](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Rivalries-Alex-Morono-191270) He then traded wins and losses, submitting [Tim Means](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-means) at UFC on ABC 4 in May 2023 and beating Court McGee in April 2024, but dropping decisions to Niko Price and Daniel Rodriguez in 2024.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894) A first-round TKO loss to Carlos Leal at UFC 313 in March 2025 and a unanimous-decision loss to Daniil Donchenko at UFC Fight Night 266 on February 7, 2026 left him on a four-fight losing streak.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894) • [3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/) By 2026 the UFC listed him as outside the active contract roster.[8](https://jp.ufc.com/athlete/aretsukusu-morono)
## Fighting style and statistics
Morono is listed as a kickboxer by the UFC and fights as a distance-first striker, with 89 percent of his significant strikes landed at range.[5](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/alex-morono?language_content_entity=en-aus&page=2) • [9](https://mmamodel.ai/fighters/Alex_Morono/) His UFC averages are 4.90 significant strikes landed per minute against 4.88 absorbed per minute, with 55 percent significant-strike defense and 48 percent takedown defense.[8](https://jp.ufc.com/athlete/aretsukusu-morono) His grappling base shows in his finishing record: of his 24 professional wins, 7 came by submission (three guillotine chokes, a triangle choke, and three armbars) and 6 by knockout, with 11 first-round finishes.[5](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/alex-morono?language_content_entity=en-aus&page=2) • [4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537) He has never been submitted in his professional career, and all 13 of his losses came by decision or knockout.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537) • [1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894)
## References
1. [Alex "The Great White" Morono MMA Stats, Biography, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Morono-64894)
2. [Alex Morono ("The Great White") Fighter Page, Tapology](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/16353-alex-morono)
3. [Alex Morono Fighter Profile, FightMatrix](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Alex%20Morono/66233/)
4. [5 Things You Might Not Know About Alex Morono, Sherdog (Brian Knapp, July 29, 2022)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Things-You-Might-Not-Know-About-Alex-Morono-187537)
5. [Alex Morono Athlete Profile, UFC](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/alex-morono?language_content_entity=en-aus&page=2)
6. [Alex Morono: 'I can thank Fabia's weirdness for getting me this opportunity' vs. Donald Cerrone, MMA Fighting (May 11, 2021)](https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/5/11/22429737/alex-morono-i-can-thank-fabias-weirdness-for-getting-me-this-opportunity-vs-donald-cerrone)
7. [Rivalries: Alex Morono, Sherdog (Brian Knapp, October 4, 2023)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Rivalries-Alex-Morono-191270)
8. [アレックス・モロノ Athlete Profile, UFC Japan](https://jp.ufc.com/athlete/aretsukusu-morono)
9. [Alex Morono Record, Stats and Fight Analytics, MMA Model](https://mmamodel.ai/fighters/Alex_Morono/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Welterweight and middleweight fighters › Welterweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license