NEW YORK -- During a night filled with exciting early knockouts, rising welterweight contender Michael Morales made sure not to be outstaged when the lights were the brightest on Saturday at UFC 322 .

Morales (19-0), 26, recorded his third straight first-round finish by stopping No. 2-ranked Sean Brady via TKO with a flurry of punches inside Madison Square Garden in New York. The victory catapulted the No. 8-ranked native of Ecuador into instant title contention.

During his postfight interview, Morales gestured toward UFC CEO Dana White, who was cageside, and said, "Boss, Dana, my belt, my belt."

Morales, who enjoyed advantages of three inches in height and seven inches in reach, towered over his opponent from the start. But Brady (18-2), a native of Philadelphia who is known for his

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