AUSTIN, Texas – Alex Morono has a couple of goals he wants to achieve before he dies. One is to get a finish in the UFC, which he accomplished Sunday with a first-round submission win over Josh Burkman at UFC Fight Night 126.

Another is to score a knockout in the UFC, which Morono (14-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) seemed tantalizingly close to after he hurt Burkman (28-17 MMA, 6-12 UFC) with a right hand early on. But while he probably could have kept punching and made his dream come true – and while he has done just that in similar situations before – this time Morono snatched the choke instead.

If he held back, he said, it was likely because of who he was fighting in the first place.

“The fans – I’m a fan, I’m one of them – we’re brutal,” Morono told MMAjunkie. “Everyone was like, ‘Burkman’s old. He should retire.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, give this man who dedicated his life to martial arts and put on some great shows some respect.’ So to your answer your question, I didn’t want to hurt him, but I definitely wanted to finish him.”

That respect for Burkman’s accomplishments over 15 years in MMA is one of the reasons Morono was excited about the fight when it was presented to him, he said. He felt similarly when he got to fight Kyle Noke in 2016, even if that one also came with an “oh no” feeling once he heard who the opponent would be.

That also explains his decision to call out Diego Sanchez for his next fight. While it’s bound to look like he’s picking on fighters past their prime, Morono isn’t too concerned about appearances.

“Since I can fight some of these vets, I’m going to ask for them,” Morono said.

Besides, he’s working in the rare industry where it’s possible to go after people you’ve looked up to and get paid to punch them in the face.

“Those guys are my heroes, and how often do you get to fight your heroes?” Morono said. “Almost never.”

For complete covearge of UFC Fight Night 126, check out the UFC Events section of the site.