Once he discovered his passion for mixed martial arts and realized how gifted he could be in the sport, he knew he'd eventually need to choose which path to follow.
"It's incredibly difficult to get drafted in football because of how many players there are, and it's nearly impossible to get noticed."
"With MMA, it's far easier to gain attention. Getting into the UFC or a major organization isn't simple, but at least your work becomes visible. Put in the effort, and people notice—you step into the spotlight."
Morgan taking it step by step
At 13 professional fights with a 9-4 record, Morgan is finally stepping into that spotlight.
Morgan said his ambition and dream have always been to compete in one of the sport's top promotions.
While that dream still burns, he's now embracing a more measured, "one step at a time" philosophy instead of fixating on the bigger picture.
"When I was younger, I was always focused on reaching the top. I never took the time to build step by step."
"Now, I want to take it one step at a time and hopefully earn my spot in the UFC or One Championship."
Though he hasn't reached the biggest stage yet, Morgan has already faced plenty of elite competition throughout his career—including current UFC fighter Charles Jourdain and top Canadian featherweight prospect TJ Laramie.
Morgan and Laramie have met twice since 2017, with Morgan walking away victorious in both bouts via first-round knockout.
Laramie is widely viewed as one of Canada's most promising prospects for a future UFC opportunity, and despite Morgan's two wins over him, Morgan acknowledges why the buzz surrounds Laramie more than himself.
"He's been able to keep fighting because there was a promotion in Ontario (Prospect Fighting Championship) willing to book him. I didn't get those opportunities. If I had two additional wins after him in the same timeframe, maybe I'd feel frustrated."
"But he's talented. I have nothing negative to say about him; he's a solid fighter. I think it really comes down to the fact that he was more active than me, which kept him in the spotlight. This is MMA—when you fight, you get the highlights. When you're inactive, you fade from view."
Morgan's most recent fight took place in December 2018, when he suffered a first-round submission defeat to Jourdain during his title defense at TKO 45.
He admitted the loss was hard to accept at the time, but it also sparked several positive changes in his life that he believes have strengthened him as a fighter and a person.
"That last loss opened my eyes to a lot of things and changed a lot of things—in both my personal life and my career."
"Since that day, I've made a lot of decisions I wasn't certain about before, but I'd been thinking through. After losing, it gave me clarity and pushed me toward positive changes in my career and my life."
