CHICAGO – Joseph Morales met with MMA Junkie and other media members Saturday after his submission win over Alibi Idiris at UFC 319.

Morales (13-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) forced Idiris (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) to tap to a triangle choke in the second round of their bout to open the event at United Center in Chicago. The fight was the flyweight tournament final of Season 33 of "The Ultimate Fighter," and made Morales the latest to wear the crown.

Morales was in the UFC in 2018 and went 1-2. His comeback from regional scene to "The Ultimate Fighter" to now winner of the show and back in the UFC is one he said he's glad to be the owner of.

Morales was the top overall pick by coach Chael Sonnen on the show. Despite that, Idiris was more than a 4-1 betting favorite in the fight.

"To me, it felt like this was my chance," Morales said at his post-fight news conference. "If I lost, they're not going to call me back because I already had the opportunity. For him, he's probably going to get a call back (even though he lost). He's a great fighter. He put on a good show throughout the whole season."

With the pressure of what he thought was his last chance behind him, and the push of a "TUF" title now like wind at his back, Morales is staunch in what he thinks the future holds.

"Oh, this is the start of a title run," he said. "This is the start of a title run. I know I said that the first time I was here, but I've been working my f*cking ass off. I don't think I've ever trained harder for a fight.

"… Noche UFC would be f*cking sick. That would be f*cking sick. But if not (in September), I do want to fight maybe in October or November and keep this every three months thing would be amazing – and just keep it healthy and keep it running. The end goal is the championship, and however close we can get to that."

Check out Morales' full post-fight interview in the video above.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 319: TUF 33 winner Joseph Morales starts flyweight title run

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