Michael Chiesa is Knocking At The Door

Michael “Maverick” Chiesa is on a four-win streak at the moment, having just defeated Neil Magny at UFC’s Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. 

For his next opponent, he doesn’t want anyone outside of the top five ranked welterweights in the UFC and if things go according to plan, he will be fighting for the UFC 170 lb. title in about 12 months. 

He joined ONE37pm’s Bo Templin on this week’s episode of In the Fight to talk about his most recent win, his immediate future, and some fun dynamics about his life outside of fighting.

July 7th, 2018. 

“He’s got an arm too! He tapped. He tapped!” 

Anthony Pettis defeats Chiesa via triangle armbar and from that moment on, Chiesa knew he had to make a change. 

“That was a weird time for me. It was a trying year. 2018 was challenging. I missed weight for that fight... When I’m backstage, I’m very game, very sharp… I’m very focused. And I was just saying some really weird stuff. I can’t really explain it. But my cornermen said, ‘we were worried,’ I was saying some really weird stuff,” Chiesa said.

“Not to mention this is the sold-out T-Mobile Arena. Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. The place is packed. I’m on the main card. I’m fighting Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis. Finally. A guy I’ve looked up to for a long time… and I just let everything get the best of me… when I went into that fight, I didn’t have my normal energy.” 

Those days of 155 pounds are long gone. ‘Maverick’ is now on a four-fight win streak. 

And he has his eyes set on UFC gold. 

ONE37pm: If you could manifest the next 12 months, what would they look like? Who do you fight? When? Where? 

Chiesa: “The next fight is a top-5 guy. I think that fight is in the summer. I win that fight…I mean this is a stacked weight class. Compete in a title eliminator in December. And then fight for the title.”

Yeah it definitely is. 

Usman, Burns, Masvidal, Covington, Wonderboy; the welterweight division is nasty. There is just no other way to put it. 

But Chiesa made it very clear: He is feeling better than ever. 

“I don’t feel like I’m slowing down… and being a veteran goes a long way in this sport.”

Recently, you’ve seen veterans continue to excel late into their 30s. Chiesa knows that and wants to capitalize on the moment. He’s taking his training to the next level and staying laser-focused. 

“It’s all about training smart… it’s all about regiment. I’m not making things up as I go.” 

Chiesa’s training can be noticed by even the most novice of fans. For a guy who just jumped up in weight, he still looks massive against his opponents. He has unlocked an absurd amount of strength and is now controlling his opponents with his superior grappling. 

Chiesa is more than just a fighter. He has passions, interests, hobbies, and daily challenges. He’s met a lot of interesting people in his life and wants to share those stories. To hear more about what he has planned next, listen to the full episode of In the Fight and check him out on Twitter and Instagram.