UFC bantamweight Albert Morales makes his return to the cage this Saturday at UFC on Fox 28 in Orlando, Florida.

Morales meets UFC newcomer Manny Bermudez (11-0) as he looks to snap a two-fight losing streak. The fight was offered quickly after Bermudez’s win at Cage Titans 37 last month impressed the UFC and earned him the call-up to the big show.  

Although some fighters may not like short-notice fights, Morales has gotten used to them.

“It's the same thing as always,” Morales told FloCombat. “That's why I try to stay ready at all times. I took a fight against Andre Soukhamthath on one week’s notice. And then before that, I had Thomas Almeida on two weeks' notice in Brazil. So this isn't a thing. I'm glad it's in a nice climate like California. It's nice and warm over there in Florida. It's not a big deal.”

Eight of Bermudez's 11 professional wins have come by submission, something Morales is very aware of.

“I just know that he's a grappler, not a grappler but a submission catcher,” Morales said. “He's been catching a lot of submissions and I think he has all his wins by submission. It looks like he has a pretty tight guillotine. But he looks pretty raw. 

"I'm definitely the veteran in this case and I just have to fight like that.”

While he recognizes his opponent's strengths, Morales isn’t too worried about Bermudez’s “submission catching." 

Morales' own love of Brazilian jiu-jitsu is going to be an important factor for the California native to avoid getting caught.

“I think it's a very good matchup,” Morales said. "He's a grappler at heart. At the beginning of my career, you'll see that I'm very good at jiu-jitsu. That's my first love, that's something I'll do for the rest of life. I haven't really been able to show that in the cage because I've been caught up trying to knock dudes out and being a fan-pleaser.

"Don't get me wrong, I like to stand and bang. But jiu-jitsu is where my heart is. I just like to strike. Just growing in the UFC, I realize I have to come back to that sometimes. If it goes there, you guys will see some of it. But the plan is to not even let it get to that situation. I just want to go out and pick him apart, break him down little by little, and finish him off.”

With Morales in a must-win situation, he's not looking to just come out on top — he's looking to dominate and to score the finish. 

“There's no doubt in my mind that I'm winning this fight," Morales said. "I'm not leaving it in the hands of the judges. I can't leave it to the judges. There's been a couple of times where that has happened and it hasn't gone my way. I have to finish this guy."

By Lucas Grandsire