Michael Chiesa News

Justin Golightly - March 8, 2018

Michael Chiesa was riding a nice little three-fight win streak until he ran into Kevin Lee, but now he’s back on the journey to restore his standing in the division and get back in that win column. He’ll be fighting former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis at the stacked UFC 223 card. Not only is he eager to get back in the cage, but he’s also relieved that Conor McGregor will be stripped to leave room for other fighters like himself to eventually get a title shot. “The biggest thing we need, is we need movement. The 155-pound division has been log-jammed so many times. When Anthony was champion he had some injuries that held him out for a while, you know, so the division got jammed up. And then we had some movement, and then Conor [McGregor] won the title and we’re jammed up again, and you know, you just gotta keep the wheels in motion. It’s just good to see. Conor’s a two-time champion, but he can’t just sit and hold the belt and keep us all waiting. You know, there’s a lot of tough guys jockeying for their position to be number one, and you only have so much time in this sport, so you can’t let one guy rob a bunch of us of our opportunities to fight for the belt.”

Justin Golightly - February 1, 2018

The card is only about half finished but already the UFC’s trip to Brooklyn is looking awesome. UFC 223 is topped with the huge lightweight clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, with Rose Namajunas defending her new strawweight title against the very woman she took it from, the dangerous Joanna Jedrzejczyk. That should be enough to tune in, but underneath that are just more fun scraps. The latest addition is Michael Chiesa and Anthony Pettis. More LWs are headed to Brooklyn! 🌃@MikeMav22 and @ShowtimePettis join April’s #UFC223 card. pic.twitter.com/Rc5FGVInGj

Drake Riggs - January 30, 2018

UFC 223 continues to grow! Already off to a hot start with two title fights and three Lightweight fights in total…it looks like another might be getting added! ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reports that a showdown between season 15 winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Michael Chiesa and former WEC and UFC Lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis could be in the cards for the night of action in Brooklyn, New York. Per sources, UFC is targeting a lightweight bout between Anthony Pettis and Michael Chiesa for UFC 223 on April 7 in Brooklyn.

Tom Taylor - July 25, 2017

On June 25, the UFC touched down in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with UFC Fight Night 112. In the main event, Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa went to war in a compelling clash of lightweight contenders. Unfortunately this main event was shrouded in controversy, as Lee locked up a first-round rear-naked choke, but referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the action before Chiesa actually tapped. Since then, Yamasaki has defended his stoppage, while the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission (OSAC) has denied Chiesa’s appeal. Despite this, Chiesa still feels he was shorted, and is harboring quite a bit of resentment against Yamasaki. On Monday’s edition of the MMA Hour, the lightweight even challenged the referee to a September 30 grappling match.

Tom Taylor - June 14, 2017

Last month, the UFC flew the headliners and co-headliners of its upcoming summer events out to Dallas for a stacked press conference. As is so often the case when too many fired-up fighters are shoehorned into a small space together, a number of heated confrontations occurred.  Of all the blowouts to occur at this press conference, none held a candle to the one involving ranked lightweights Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee, whose scrap will headline the UFC’s June 25 visit to Oklahoma City. This scuffle began when Lee reminded Chiesa that his mother would be present when they fought. Lee’s mention of Chiesa’s mother caused Chiesa’s blood to boil, at which point he threatened to slap Lee, and stormed across the cage in his foe’s direction. The two lightweights then collided in the middle of the stage, where Lee cracked Chiesa with a punch.

Tom Taylor - May 31, 2017

Earlier this month, the UFC flew the headliners and co-headliners of all its upcoming shows out to Dallas for a massive, summer kick-off press conference. As is so often the case when too many top fighters are brought together in one small room, drama ensued. Of all the drama that occurred on the stage that day, none was quiet as fiery as the blowout between UFC Oklahoma City headliners Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee. This drama occurred when Kevin Lee pointed out that Michael Chiesa’s mother will be watching when they fight in Oklahoma City. This did not go over well with Chiesa, who threatened Lee, warning him not to speak about his mother. When Lee brushed this threat off, Chiesa stood up, prompting Lee to do the same. The two then stormed to the middle of the stage, where Lee clocked Chiesa with a pretty nice punch.

Russell Ess - May 16, 2017

Do not talk about Michael Chiesa’s mother. With Kevin Lee just mentioning Chiesa’s mother at the UFC Summer Kickoff Press Conference, it hit an immediate nerve in Chiesa, who instructed to Lee to never talk about his mother. Things turned physical when Chiesa rushed over to Lee and was held back by security while Lee slipped under the security’s radar and hit him with a punch.

Scott Hernandez - May 13, 2017

Friday afternoon at the UFC Summer Kickoff press conference, UFC lightweights Kevin Lee and Michael Chiesa were involved in a rather heated argument that led to a scuffle taking place between the two men. While security guards were quick to restrain Chiesa, Lee managed to land a clean right hand before security guards restrained him. Ultimately, both man left the Q&A portion of the press conference before returning to the stage at the commencement to have their staredown. Following the incident, which may or may not see the two men punished, Michael Chiesa took to social media to release a statement on the matter, saying:

Scott Hernandez - March 31, 2017

On June 25th, streaking lightweights Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee will step into the Octagon for a pivotal showdown for these two top ranked lightweights. The UFC announced the matchup on Twitter, where they also revealed that the fight would serve as the main event scrap to an already stacked card which features the likes of BJ Penn vs. Dennis Siver, Tim Boetsch vs. Johny Hendricks, and Felice Herrig vs. Justin Kish to name just a few of the high-profile fights on the card.

Scott Hernandez - March 15, 2017

Recently, UFC lightweights Michael Chiesa and Tony Ferguson have gone toe to toe in various interviews as ‘The Maverick’ and ‘El Cucuy’ have continued to trade barbs back and forth following Chiesa’s callout of the top ranked lightweight contender. Following Chiesa’s callout of Ferguson for an interim lightweight title fight, Ferguson shut down the idea, explaining that fight with Chiesa wasn’t appealing to him, and that he would prefer to fight Nate Diaz.

Scott Hernandez - March 15, 2017

‘The Ultimate Fighter: Live’ winner Michael Chiesa has proven to be one of the most consistent lightweights in the UFC today. With a UFC record of 7-2, with one of his losses coming by way of doctor stoppage due to a cut on his eyebrow, Chiesa has found himself at #7 on the UFC’s official lightweight rankings. With only a handful of fighters above him, Chiesa is looking to leverage his impressive 3-fight win streak into an interim lightweight title fight with Tony Ferguson, who recently found himself without an opponent when Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced out of their UFC 209 scrap the morning of weigh-ins.

Tom Taylor - March 10, 2017

Earlier this year, The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner and current lightweight contender Michael Chiesa made headlines by claiming that he could defeat UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor. “Conor is good, but I really don’t think he’s a true lightweight,” Chiesa told ESPN back in January. “That’s what I’m saying. With the landscape of this division, I don’t see Conor ending his year as champion. And you put me in there, I’m going to drag him to the ground and beat him too. I’m a huge lightweight. I’m as big as Nate (Diaz) or bigger, and we saw how many problems Nate gave him.

Tom Taylor - March 9, 2017

For the last few weeks, eighth-ranked UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa has been angling for a fight with former champ Eddie Alvarez. Unfortunately for Chiesa and his fans, Alvarez has been pencilled in for a bout with Dustin Poirier. The two will meet at UFC 211 on May 13 in Dallas. On Wednesday’s edition of BJ Penn Radio, Chiesa vented his frustrations about this booking to host Kinch.

Scott Hernandez - March 8, 2017

BJPENN.COM Radio returns tonight at 8PM ET/5PM PT with another full lineup of great guests! 8:10PM ET- Kicking things off tonight, Mark Godbeer – @MarkGodbeerUK joins us to recap his victory against Daniel Spitz at UFC 209 over the weekend. Mark gives us a critique of his performance, his thoughts on a second potential booking against Todd Duffee, and recounts the circumstances that led to his retirement and eventual return to action.

Tom Taylor - March 7, 2017

Having been knocked out by Conor McGregor in November, Eddie Alvarez is no longer the UFC lightweight champion. That said, he still seems to have a target on his back, as he’s been called out by several top lightweights over the last few weeks. One of these lightweights has been Dustin Poirier, who recently defeated Jim Miller in a three-round thriller. Another is The Ultimate Fighter winner and number-eight ranked lightweight Michael Chiesa.

Tom Taylor - February 28, 2017

With plenty of judging controversy and a definite lack of finishes, UFC 208 went down as a pretty forgettable card. The card did, however, produce one memorable moment in a thrilling, back-and-forth battle between talented lightweights Dustin Poirier and Jim Miller. Despite sustaining a leg injury in the third round, Poirier ultimately won this action-packed fight by majority decision. With this win, the Louisiana native rebounded from a tough, knockout loss to lightweight contender Michael Johnson, and reaffirmed himself as one of the division’s gamest competitors.

Scott Hernandez - January 18, 2017

In November of 2016, UFC superstar Conor McGregor made his first Octagon appearance at 155 pounds when he stepped into the Octagon against UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205, the UFC’s inaugural event at the famed Madison Square Garden. McGregor put on a spectacular showing as he picked up a 2nd round TKO win over Alvarez, claiming the lightweight championship, and cementing his place in the UFC’s history books as the first ever simultaneous two-division UFC champion. While McGregor’s win was certainly a dominant one, top 10 ranked lightweight Michael Chiesa foresees McGregor having problems in the division in the future.

Tom Taylor - January 17, 2017

When lightweight champion Conor McGregor returns from his current hiatus from competition, it will likely be to a fight with the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson’s upcoming interim title fight. If the Irish champion passes this mammoth test, however, it’s difficult to say who will be next for him. Michael Chiesa, who is one of the frontrunners in the lightweight division, could well find himself in the cage with McGregor in the near future. Were this to happen, The Ultimate Fighter winner is confident he’d win for one reason in particular. At 6’1, he’s just a much bigger fighter than McGregor.