Athletes
Niko Price Is Happy To Put It On The Line
UFC Welterweight Niko Price Expects To Deliver An Exciting Performance In A Rematch With Alex Morono
“Give me the contract, I’m in.”
That’s all that was running through Niko Price’s mind when UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby called him with the news that Alex Morono was willing to step in to fight him at UFC 302.
Price had found out hours earlier that his original opponent, Jeremiah Wells, was injured and wouldn’t be competing on June 1, so getting any fight was a big relief for “The Hybrid.”
How To Watch UFC 302 In Your Country
He didn’t care that it was a rematch over someone he’d already knocked out, or that it was short notice; all that mattered is he’d be fighting someone in the Octagon for the first time since last July.
“’Yes, all right! I still got a fight,’” Price recalled his reaction to UFC.com. “I was already three weeks into a camp, so I didn’t want it to be a waste. Once Alex said yes, I was like, ‘Thank you, Alex, and let’s do it again’.”
Price and Morono scrapped way back on February 4, 2017, and it was Price’s second fight in the UFC. The Florida native had accepted a nine-day short notice fight to take on Morono in his home city of Houston.
Order UFC 302: Makhachev vs Poirier
Morono was having his moments, but as the final moments in the second frame ticked off the clock, Price landed a powerful combo up against the fence that knocked Morono out at the bell. Morono was unable to continue, and Price’s gamble paid off.
This weekend, at UFC 302: Makhachev vs Poirier, Price will be making his 17th UFC appearance, and he feels that his experience since then has shaped him into a totally different fighter.
The Only 2 Upkick Finishes in UFC History
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
The Only 2 Upkick Finishes in UFC History
/
If we are getting down to brass tacks, Price’s UFC resume has plenty of ups and downs, but those moments have truly come against some of the toughest welterweights on the roster. Price has shared the Octagon with Robbie Lawler, Phil Rowe, Michel Pereira, Donald Cerrone, Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal, Abdul Razak Alhassan, Randy Brown, Alan Jouban, and Morono.
That’s a crazy strength of schedule, and the whole way the 34-year-old Price never changed his style. He is unpredictable, well-rounded, creative, and powerful. Those things have made Price into a must-watch fighter every time he’s on an event.
UFC 302: Dustin Poirier's Top Finishes | Islam Makhachev UFC Connected | Islam Makhachev's Win Streak | Dustin Poirier Full-Fight Marathon | Five Islam Makhachev Fights To Watch
And it’ll be no different at UFC 302.
“They know I’m coming in to fight,” Price said. “I’m not just coming in to point fight a dude and make a boring fight. I’m going to put everything on the line every time.
“I’m just an older, more mature fighter. I know when to do things and how to do them. Back then, I took that fight on nine days’ notice, so I was just coming in full blast. Now I’m more seasoned and weathered.”
Price also gave Morono props, as he’s seen him grow as a striker and win a significant number of fights throughout his own UFC tenure. He’s confident that the two are meeting again at just the right time and that it’ll produce a fight that the fans in Newark, New Jersey will love.
“I’m better, he’s better,” Price said. “So, it’s going to be a better war. That’s the way I look at it.”
UFC 302: Makhachev vs Poirier took place live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 1, 2024. See the Final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses, and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
Tags