Joseph Morales is back in the UFC. The 30-year-old veteran pulled off a major upset to open the UFC 319 preliminary card, submitting the undefeated Alibi Idiris (10-1) with a gorgeous triangle choke in the final of The Ultimate Fighter 33 flyweight tournament.

CHICAGO – UFC 319 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) from United Center ( ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+)

Team Cormier vs. Team Sonnen opened the UFC 319 preliminary card Saturday in Chicago with Joseph Morales finishing Alibi Idiris in dominant fashion to earn a UFC contract.

Joseph Morales washed out of the UFC after three fights in 2018, then took nearly three years off before rebuilding his career with four straight wins and a berth in The Ultimate Fighter’s season 33 flyweight title fight.

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.

UFC 318 kicks off with a fight between Idiris and Morales. Check out our UFC odds series for our Idiris-Morales prediction and pick.