Kevin Holland urges Michael Chiesa to retire following UFC 291: “You’re never gonna get a title”

Kevin Holland gave a brutally honest take on Michael Chiesa’s fighting future following UFC 291.

Holland and Chiesa shared the Octagon in the UFC 291 main card opener. This one didn’t last long, as Holland was able to secure a choke in the opening frame. Chiesa has now lost three fights in a row and has been submitted in two of those fights. It’s a tough skid for Chiesa, who had previously been on a four-fight winning streak prior to this current stretch.

Should Michael Chiesa Retire?

During a media scrum following the fight, Kevin Holland weighed in on what Michael Chiesa should do moving forward. While he did say the future should involve the fight game, he doesn’t think that includes competing (h/t SportsKeeda.com).

“The game has circled and passed [Chiesa] and seriously left him,” Holland said. “Retire, commentate, focus on your family, you’re never gonna get a title. And if that’s what you were here for, it’s not gonna happen. You’re already collecting a check by not getting hurt. So just stop, you’re a really good commentator and there’s no reason to take brain damage.”

Chiesa issued a statement following his loss to Holland, and he made it clear that he will not be retiring. “The Maverick” said he planned to get back on the horse and hit the gym again. In his current skid, Chiesa has suffered first-round submission losses against Vicente Luque and Holland. He also dropped a unanimous decision to Sean Brady.

As for Holland, he has now won two in a row. This follows a two-fight skid, which included a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev and a TKO defeat against Stephen Thompson.

While Holland is hoping to shed inconsistency, Chiesa simply wants to get back in the win column. Whether or not “The Maverick” can remain competitive in 2023 and beyond is unknown.