Michael Chiesa News

Chris Taylor - January 25, 2020

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos squared off with Michael Chiesa in a welterweight bout at tonight’s UFC Raleigh event. Dos Anjos (29-12 MMA) was coming off a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards in his most recent Octagon appearance. Prior to that setback, ‘RDA’ had scored a submission victory Kevin Lee.

Chris Taylor - January 25, 2020

In tonight’s UFC Raleigh co-headliner, former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will square off with Michael Chiesa in a welterweight bout. Dos Anjos (29-12 MMA) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards in his most recent Octagon appearance. Prior to the setback, ‘RDA’ had scored a submission victory Kevin Lee.

Cole Shelton - January 21, 2020

Michael Chiesa wanted a ranked opponent after his win over Diego Sanchez but did not expect to get a top-five opponent in Rafael dos Anjos. Chiesa, who moved up to welterweight in 2018, is now 2-0 in the weight class and revealed it was dos Anjos who asked for the fight at UFC Raleigh.

Harry Kettle - November 22, 2019

UFC welterweight contenders Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Chiesa have exchanged pleasantries ahead of their clash at UFC Raleigh next year. The UFC has confirmed that the two will square off at the show on January 25, which is already looking like one of the most stacked Fight Night cards in quite some time. Curtis Blaydes vs Junior dos Santos is set to main event the card in North Carolina with Cory Sandhagen vs Frankie Edgar having also been confirmed.

Adam D Martin - August 4, 2019

UFC welterweight contender Michael Chiesa says he is working on a new contract with the world’s leading MMA promotion and he hopes to return to the Octagon in December. The former “Ultimate Fighter” winner recently spoke to reporters and told them when he wants to return to the Octagon.

Tom Taylor - July 11, 2019

Michael Chiesa picked up a big win at UFC 239, defeating The Ultimate Fighter season one winner Diego Sanchez by unanimous decision. Yet he didn’t escape the Octagon unscathed. Speaking on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday, Chiesa divulged that Sanchez gave him what fight fans often refer to as an “oil check.”

Chris Taylor - July 6, 2019

A welterweight bout between veterans Diego Sanchez and Michael Chiesa kicked off tonight’s UFC 239 main card from Las Vegas. Sanchez (29-11 MMA) enters tonight’s contest on a two-fight winning streak, scoring victories over Craig White and Mickey Gall in his most recent octagon appearances.

Cole Shelton - July 5, 2019

Michael Chiesa is set for his second welterweight fight this Saturday at UFC 239, where he will take on Diego Sanchez. Moving up to welterweight was something was considering for a long time given how big he is. He says he would wake up a “couple of pounds” over 180 pounds with two-weeks until fight night — quite a distance from the lightweight division’s 156-pound limit. Not having to cut as much weight as a welterweight is a huge bonus and a big stress reliever for Chiesa.

Tom Taylor - June 24, 2019

In 2017, grappling specialists Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee met in a lightweight grudge match. Unfortunately, this match ended in controversy, as Lee locked up a rear-naked choke, and referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the action before Chiesa had actually tapped. Today, when Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee are both competing in the welterweight division, Chiesa is still holding out hope for a rematch.

Drake Riggs - April 5, 2019

At UFC 232 to close out 2018, we saw a late candidate for submission of the year when The Ultimate Fighter season 15 winner, Michael Chiesa (15-4) locked in a kimura that handed former UFC interim welterweight champion, Carlos Condit his fifth straight defeat. A few months later early into the new year, we also saw another crazy sight as the iconic TUF 1 winner, Diego Sanchez (29-11) got his first win by finish in 11 years when he TKO’d Mickey Gall in round two of their UFC 235 clash.

Tom Taylor - December 29, 2018

The final non-title bout of the UFC 232 main card occurred in the welterweight division, where former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit looked to rebound from a string of losses opposite Michael Chiesa, who was making his debut in the welterweight division after a long run in the lightweight division. Early in this riveting welterweight style matchup, it looked like the surprisingly hulking Michael Chiesa would be able to give Carlos Condit all kinds of problems with his wrestling. As the round wore down, however, Condit was able to threaten with a very tight armbar off his back, and then with a heel hook.

Drake Riggs - December 21, 2018

Next Saturday night, season 15 winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Michael ‘Maverick’ Chiesa makes his return to the cage at UFC 232 to take on Carlos Condit in his UFC welterweight debut. However, Chiesa continues to fight his fight outside the MMA world as well.

Chris Taylor - September 15, 2018

It appears that former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit (30-12 MMA) is ready to make his return to the octagon. “The Natural Born Killer” was recently called out by former lightweight competitor Michael Chiesa, who told ESPN‘s Ariel Helwani that he hoped to fight Condit in his welterweight debut at December’s UFC 232 event.

Drake Riggs - September 13, 2018

After a failed attempted on the scales during his last time out at UFC 226, The Ultimate Fighter season 15 winner Michael Chiesa is changing divisions. Although he immediately stated after missing the lightweight mark for his last fight, Chiesa is actually going through with his plan to move up to 170-pounds as was confirmed to ESPN.

Drake Riggs - September 11, 2018

There’s no way that anyone will be forgetting the UFC 223 Conor McGregor bus attack anytime soon, especially all of those who were involved. And judging by the promos for UFC 229…the UFC doesn’t want anyone to forget either. LOL pic.twitter.com/OsHJICDYpb

Tom Taylor - July 13, 2018

Last Friday, at the UFC 226 weigh ins, long-time lightweight contender Michael Chiesa missed weight for his fight with Anthony Pettis, tipping the scales at 157.5, 1.5 pounds above the 156-pound limit for non-title lightweight fights. Moments after he stepped off the scale, Chiesa assured he was done at lightweight, evidently fed-up with the weight cut. Speaking on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on ESPN this week, Michael Chiesa opened up on just how harrowing his UFC 226 weight cut was. Apparently, he worried he was going to kill himself.

Drake Riggs - June 28, 2018

The fallout from a non-fighting related incident was unlike anything we’d ever seen before in the UFC during UFC 223’s fight week. As everyone knows by now, it was the infamous fighter bus attack by Conor McGregor and his dolly throwing ways.

Tom Taylor - June 1, 2018

Michael Chiesa, who battles Anthony Pettis at UFC 226 this July 7 in Las Vegas, considers Tony Ferguson — not Khabib Nurmagomedov — the true UFC lightweight champion of the UFC. Chiesa explained why he feels this way on a recent episode of Submission Radio. “In my eyes, Tony Ferguson’s the champion,” Chiesa said (transcribed by BloodyElbow). “I mean, his win streak has a lot of prestigious names to it. You know, he beat Kevin Lee, he beat Rafael dos Anjos, he beat Edson Barboza, he’s got that long laundry list of guys in his win streak.”