Michael Chiesa issues statement following dominant win over “damn good fighter” Neil Magny

UFC welterweight contender Michael Chiesa issued a statement following his dominant decision win over Neil Magny at UFC Fight Island 8.

Chiesa looked incredible against Magny as he improved to a perfect 4-0 since moving up to welterweight in 2018. Chiesa was able to drag Magny down to the mat at will, and on the ground, he was able to maintain dominant positional control. He was also quite successful on the feet, as well, leading to an overall very dominant performance by Chiesa. It’s the kind of win that should earn him a top-five opponent in the UFC welterweight division.

The day after his big win, Chiesa took to his social media to issue a statement about the Magny fight. Check out what “Maverick” wrote on his Instagram.

It was an honor sharing the octagon with @neil_magny170. This man is an army veteran, a father and a damn good fighter. I have a ton of respect for him.

That’s definitely some high praise from Chiesa, who proved by dominating a well-respected veteran like Magny that he is one of the top-10 welterweights on the planet, no doubt about it. Since making the move up to 170lbs three years ago, Chiesa has defeated Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, Rafael dos Anjos, and now Magny as he’s ascended to near the top of the welterweight mountain. He’s close to the top-five now but needs one more marquee win.

Following his win over Magny, Chiesa called out Colby Covington, the No. 1 contender in the division. You might as well shoot for the top, but that callout may have been a bit out of reach for Chiesa at this point. A more sensible opponent might be someone like Stephen Thompson, a former title challenger who seems open to fighting lower-ranked opponents such as Geoff Neal, but it’s still far too early to say, and it remains to be seen what’s next for Chiesa.

What do you think is next for Michael Chiesa after beating Neil Magny?