Joseph Morales did what many didn’t expect—the 30-year-old veteran pulled off an upset victory over Alibi Idiris to kick off the UFC 319 preliminary card. Despite entering as the underdog, Morales came out aggressive against the previously undefeated prospect right from the beginning, using his grappling to outwrestle Idiris and nearly locking in a submission.
Morales’ body punches were doing the job, but Idiris attempted a spinning attack in the second round, which caused his downfall. Morales quickly took Idiris’ back, but then lost the position, yet went to work from the bottom, throwing up a triangle choke that ended the fight. With that win, Morales became the newest The Ultimate Fighter 33 flyweight champion.
The loss hit Idiris hard, prompting his coach, Daniel Cormier, to step away from the commentary desk to console his fighter. MMA Junkie captured the heartfelt moment, posting, “Daniel Cormier comforts Alibi Idiris after falling short of the TUF 33 crown.” In the clip, Cormier is seen embracing Idiris, cageside, offering comfort to the disheartened fighter after the tough loss.
Daniel Cormier comforts Alibi Idiris after falling short of the TUF 33 crown #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/PgbgtAT0xZ
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 16, 2025
But just over an hour later, Chael Sonnen—who coached Morales—took to X with a playful jab at Cormier, “Daniel n’ me are BROS,” he wrote. “But everybody KNOWS/ When that cage door CLOSE/ Pal, you got to GO.” Sonnen even celebrated live during the broadcast. Notably, the welterweight finale between Daniil Donchenko and Rodrigo Sezinando was scrapped due to injury, leaving Morales as the only fighter to claim a TUF 33 crown at UFC 319.
The post Daniel Cormier Leaves Commentary Table to Console Fallen Student as Chael Sonnen Celebrates TUF 33 Finale Win During UFC 319 Livestream appeared first on EssentiallySports.
