Flyweight contenders Matt Schnell and Joseph Morales face off in Las Vegas on November 8, pitting Schnell’s speed against Morales’s precision.
- Matt Schnell faces off against Joseph Morales in a flyweight bout at UFC APEX, Las Vegas, on November 8.
- Both fighters enter off recent wins and look to gain momentum in a competitive division.
- Schnell holds a 17–9 record, with formidable submission skills and volume striking.
- Morales carries a 14–2 record and momentum from his recent run on The Ultimate Fighter.
- Expect a technical battle that pits quickness against grappling pressure in a contest of skill and poise.
Main Event Odds
Matt Schnell: +215
Joseph Morales: -265
Full UFC Fight Night Card Odds
- 170 lbs.: Gabriel Bonfim (-180) vs. Randy Brown (+150)
- 126 lbs.: Matt Schnell (+215) vs. Joseph Morales (-265)
- 170 lbs.: Muslim Salikhov (+150) vs. Uros Medic (-180)
- 155 lbs.: Chris Padilla (+165) vs. Ismael Bonfim (-195)
- 136 lbs.: Ricky Simon (-170) vs. Raoni Barcelos (+140)
- 186 lbs.: Christian Leroy Duncan (+165) vs. Marco Tulio (-195)
- 145 lbs.: Hyder Amil (-140) vs. Jamall Emmers (+120)
- 136 lbs.: Adrian Yanez (-225) vs. Cristian Quiñonez (+185)
- 126 lbs.: Mayra Bueno Silva (+215) vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (-265)
- 229 lbs.: Josh Hokit (-400) vs. Max Gimenis (+300)
- 114 lbs.: Tecia Pennington (+155) vs. Denise Gomes (-185)
- 135 lbs.: Miles Johns (+145) vs. Daniel Marcos (-175)
- 185 lbs.: Jackson McVey (+140) vs. Robert Valentin (-170)
On November 8, Matt Schnell and Joseph Morales square off in a flyweight bout on the main card of UFC Fight Night. At 125 pounds, two slick grapplers compete against one another at UFC APEX in Las Vegas in an attempt to advance up the ladder.
At -265, Morales is the betting favorite. Professionally, the California native is 14-2. Morales is a well-rounded talent who trains with the prestigious Team Alpha Male. He has a strong submission grappling game and is getting better at the feet. He hopes to build on his recent submission victory and his winning run on The Ultimate Fighter, where he displayed composure and a knack for the finish.
At +215, Schnell is the slight underdog. The 34-year-old native of Louisiana enters with a 17-9 record, including one no-contest. Earlier this year, UFC flyweight veteran Schnell defeated Jimmy Flick by unanimous decision, ending his losing streak. He consistently demonstrates that he is one of the toughest in the division with his quick hands and deft submissions.
Schnell has a slight advantage over Morales because he is 5’8″ and has a 70- and 38-inch reach. He defends 55% of incoming shots and scores 4.13 significant strikes per minute with 40% accuracy. Schnell demonstrates skill both on the mat and standing, averaging 1.24 submissions and 0.49 takedowns every 15 minutes.
Morales has a reach of 68 inches and is 5 feet 6 inches tall. At the same 40 percent accuracy, he absorbs only 2.11 significant strikes per minute, but lands 2.02 significant strikes per minute. Morales has a strong ground game and an active style once the fight reaches the canvas, as evidenced by his average of 1.23 takedowns and 2.87 submissions per 15 minutes. He is a dangerous finisher in every position thanks to his time spent training under top grapplers at Team Alpha Male and his experience as a jiu-jitsu instructor.
In a division where timing and poise frequently distinguish contenders from journeymen, both fighters come into this bout fresh off victories and seeking some consistency. In what looks to be a technical and hotly contested flyweight fight, Schnell’s volume striking and scrappy style will face Morales’s calculated pressure and grappling accuracy.
Tale of the Tape
They are both orthodox fighters. At 5 feet 8 inches, Matt Schnell is 2 inches taller than Joseph Morales and has a 1-inch reach advantage. Physical characteristics play a minor role in the matchup because their builds are nearly identical in terms of weight and leg reach. Schnell might have early range with a longer frame and more strikes, while Morales’s compact posture facilitates his grappling transitions and pressure-based style.
With over 3 years of UFC experience, Schnell has a measured and technical style. Because of his quick hands, he frequently uses fluid combinations that include quick entries into the clinch and stiff jabs. With more than half of his career victories coming via tapout, Schnell’s submission game remains a powerful weapon despite his preference for striking.
He battles calmly, offsetting opponents with speed and rhythm to gain more strength. He has a 43% takedown defense, which has been a persistent weakness throughout his career, but his aggressive exchanges occasionally leave him vulnerable defensively.
In contrast, Morales is a calculating grappler who has become more self-assured in his stand-up routine. He has been a member of Team Alpha Male since he was a teenager, has a sophisticated background in jiu-jitsu, and teaches the art. Pressure fighter Morales advances with straight punches before executing takedowns to establish dominating ground positions.
He is a finisher once the fight reaches the mat, as evidenced by his nearly three-submission average every fifteen minutes. Morales absorbs just 2.11 strikes per minute while compensating with accuracy, poise, and defensive awareness. He is still working on his striking output.
In terms of statistics, Morales contributes a more stable defense and more effective grappling, while Schnell offers the faster pace and experience advantage. Schnell’s readiness to participate in firefights might generate early excitement, but it might also reveal weaknesses for Morales’ ground control or counters. This fight, which is expected to be a tactical, fast-paced flyweight matchup, pits Morales’ accuracy and submission pressure against Schnell’s speed and experience. Both fighters have demonstrated finishing ability.
Fighting Styles
Matt Schnell enters this flyweight fight with a potent combination of speed, volume, and submission skills. Schnell, who is well-known for his quick combinations and sharp jab, frequently establishes the tempo early with movement and layered striking patterns. His offensive game flourishes when he can control distance, drawing counters with feints and level shifts before precisely responding. Although Schnell’s “kill or be killed” mentality occasionally creates openings, his nearly ten years of UFC experience enable him to read rhythm and make adjustments mid-fight.
His 43% takedown defense is still a persistent weakness, and even though he is a technical striker, he frequently gets caught in exchanges. However, once the fight does take place on his terms, Schnell’s jiu-jitsu is smooth; his 53% submission win rate attests to his ease in a scramble and his ability to take advantage of minor positional mistakes.
Joseph Morales, on the other hand, enters as a composed yet unyielding pressure fighter with a grappling core developed at Team Alpha Male. He prefers to stay just out of pocket before shooting or countering overextensions, demonstrating a combination of patience and opportunism in his game. Morales has been improving his strikes over time; when he commits, he lands clean and has a lot of power for a 125-pound fighter, but his transitions to the ground are what really set him apart. He consistently hunts control positions and submissions, especially from the back, with an average of 1.23 takedowns per 15 minutes and 2.87 attempted.
Morales’s jiu-jitsu background contributes to his composure under pressure because he rarely wastes energy and chooses his moments carefully. However, his 28% takedown defense is vulnerable; Morales may need to rely on exchanges where Schnell’s volume advantage could tip the scales if Schnell is able to stay upright or reverse position.
In the Octagon, both fighters have a propensity for high risk and high reward. While Morales’s positional control and tight submission chains can dictate the fight’s geography, Schnell’s speed and boxing combinations could overwhelm if he can avoid extended grappling. Technical striking and controlled grappling pressure represent a stylistic juncture. The winner may be decided by a single timing error..
Path to Victory
Maintaining discipline in the striking battle at midrange is Matt Schnell’s most obvious path to victory. He may be able to get momentum early thanks to his combination work and hand speed advantage, particularly if he can make Morales fight from behind. In order to maintain the fight, Schnell should circle away from Morales’s pressure and use his jab to manage rhythm. Schnell’s lateral movement and intercepting counters might make the difference when Morales looks too closely.
Since Morales occasionally lets his guard down after initiating level changes, bringing him into longer exchanges could highlight some of his defensive flaws. Schnell might use Morales’s aggression against him if he can block early takedown attempts and punish entries with uppercuts or knees. Patience, not recklessness, is the key for Schnell: overload with volume. His background in drawn-out conversations might come in handy as this battle progresses.
Joseph Morales, on the other hand, uses opportunistic grappling and controlled pressure to win. The Team Alpha Male product is most effective when he conceals the pocket with body kicks or feints, making opponents react and reveal level-changing transitions. Morales’ best work involves dragging fights into his world on the mat and chaining them off combinations, so he doesn’t need to rush the takedowns. This path is especially alluring because of Schnell’s 43% takedown defense and history of being caught in submissions.
Morales’s high submission rate and fluid positional control could quickly turn the tide once he is grounded. By combining clinch control with short elbows against the fence, Morales can wear Schnell down even if he scrambles up. The secret will be to stay calm while playing defense. If Morales gives Schnell room, his ability to deliver rapid three- or four-punch bursts could steal rounds. Morales will have an opportunity to control the pace if he can absorb or deflect that pressure and force Schnell to fight off his back foot. Morales benefits from every minute spent on the ground because his grappling transitions and cardio can gradually stifle an opponent’s rhythm.
In the end, Schnell is best suited for handling distance and continuous output, while Morales’ path to success involves control, pressure, and the threat of submission. The winner will be the one who enforces his own range, whether it be on the mat or standing.
