Carlos Leal Stops Alex Morono in First Round at UFC 313
Carlos Leal earned his first UFC victory with a first-round TKO of Alex Morono at UFC 313. The Brazilian welterweight overwhelmed Morono with strikes and forced the referee to stop the bout at 4:16 of round one on March 8, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The result turned a scheduled veteran-versus-debuting-UFC-winner matchup into one of the card’s quickest finishes.
Leal set the pace early
Morono entered the contest with years of UFC experience and a reputation for being difficult to put away. Leal, meanwhile, was looking for his first official UFC win after a disputed split-decision loss in his promotional debut. Both men had reason to make a strong impression, but Leal quickly imposed his forward pressure and began landing clean, forceful combinations.
The early exchanges favored Leal as he put together punches and continued to close distance. Morono attempted to answer and stay in the fight, but Leal’s volume and accuracy kept him under pressure. The Brazilian’s offense accumulated in a short span, prompting referee intervention before the contest reached the halfway point of the opening round.
Official result: TKO at 4:16
The UFC recorded the result as Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono by TKO (strikes) at 4:16 of round one. The stoppage was Leal’s first win inside the Octagon and gave him a clear finish against an opponent with far more UFC appearances. Morono’s experience could not blunt the flurry that ended the bout.
Leal said after the fight that he was pleased to get the victory and spoke about the approach that led to the finish. His performance offered an emphatic response after his narrow debut loss and showed how dangerous his pressure can be when he finds a rhythm. For Morono, the defeat interrupted a run of activity against established welterweights and left him needing to regroup after a fast stoppage.
A fast finish on the UFC 313 prelims
UFC 313 was headlined by Magomed Ankalaev’s light heavyweight championship victory over Alex Pereira. Leal and Morono competed earlier on the preliminary card, where the Brazilian’s finish added to a night that featured several decisive results. The promotion’s official prelim recap lists the TKO and stoppage time, while the official scorecard page confirms the result.
How both welterweights moved on
Leal’s first UFC win was followed by a knockout loss to Muslim Salikhov in July 2025, then a unanimous-decision victory over Chidi Njokuani in February 2026. Morono’s next UFC appearance ended in a unanimous-decision loss to Daniil Donchenko on February 7, 2026. Leal’s UFC profile and the UFC’s Donchenko–Morono recap document those later results.
Watch Leal’s post-fight Octagon interview below as he reflects on the performance and his first UFC win.
