Michael Chiesa

After falling short at UFC Vegas 43, what’s next for Michael Chiesa?

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Entering the second half of 2021, Michael Chiesa (17-6) was in an excellent spot in the UFC’s welterweight division. The former top lightweight contender had been unbeaten since he made the jump to 170 pounds.

A perfect 4-0 start that included wins over former UFC champion Rafael Dos Anjos and a dominant win over the durable Neil Magny. This start earned him a shot against Vicente Luque back at UFC 265 in what some people considered to be a title eliminator.

Chiesa had some really good moments in the first round of that fight. However, he left his neck exposed and was submitted. He wanted a quick turnaround after that loss and the UFC booked him against the undefeated Sean Brady (15-0) this past weekend.

Throughout the fight, Brady was getting the better of Chiesa. It was a little surprising to see their grappling exchanges and I think even Chiesa was caught off guard. However, Chiesa did come on really strong in the final round.

That said, it wasn’t enough and Chiesa lost by unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 43. Now, after that perfect start at welterweight which had him in title contention, Chiesa is looking at a two-fight losing streak.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 43?

After losing to Sean Brady at UFC Vegas 43, it’s time for Chiesa to take a slight step back in terms of the competition. He needs a good reset that could see him take on a ranked opponent that sits outside of the top ten.

In looking at the welterweight division, there are a couple of names that jump out to me. However, there’s one name on the list that seems to be the perfect fit. That perfect fit would be “The Leech” Li Jingliang (18-7).

We just saw Li compete back at UFC 267 where he took on phenom Khamzat Chimaev. Li was completely steamrolled and choked out in the first round. However, that shouldn’t take away from how good and tough Li is. That should ultimately speak to how special Chimaev is.

Li and Chiesa would be a fantastic matchup for the UFC to make. Both men need a win to get back to fighting guys inside the top ten. This is the direction I would go if I was the match maker.

UFC books Michael Chiesa – Sean Brady

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The UFC has finalized a fun matchup in the welterweight division. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report this evening that the promotion has finalized a battle between ranked welterweights Michael Chiesa (17-5) and Sean Brady (14-0).

The fight will take place at a Fight Night on November 20th. This is a huge fight for Brady who will look to stay undefeated. Brady made his UFC debut back in 2019 when he took on former Ultimate Fighter winner Court McGee. That night, Brady picked up a decision win.

After that, Brady earned another decision win before finishing back-to-back fights. In his last fight, Brady took on Jake Matthews back in March at UFC 259. Brady defeated Matthews by third round arm-triangle choke to remain unbeaten.

Now, Brady is going to be getting a huge step up in competition. The UFC had been trying to book Brady against Kevin Lee. In fact, Brady was supposed to fight Kevin Lee last weekend, but Brady had to pull out of the fight. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the UFC‘s giving him an even bigger fight.

Bounce back UFC opportunity for Chiesa

The Maverick will be looking to bounce back in this fight with Sean Brady. The last time we saw Chiesa was just a few weeks ago at UFC 265. That night, Chiesa took on Vicente Luque in a huge fight for the division.

The winner of that fight was set to jump right into the title picture. Entering UFC 265, Chiesa was a perfect 4-0 in the welterweight division. A win over Luque might’ve earned Chiesa a title shot.

In the fight, Chiesa had his opportunities to win. In fact, he had Luque’s back at one point. However, Luque survived and ended up forcing a scramble. During the scramble, Chiesa made a vital mistake and left his neck out there.

In doing so, Luque locked up a choke and got the win. The UFC is giving Chiesa a step back in competition, but it’s a good reset fight. Either Chiesa resumes his climb to the top or Sean Brady proves he belongs in the discussion with the division’s elites.

Vicente Luque continues to rise after UFC 265

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This past Saturday at UFC 265, we saw a pivotal matchup in the welterweight division. Top six welterweights went head-to-head as Vicente Luque (21-7-1) took on Michael Chiesa (17-5).

Chiesa was unbeaten in the UFC‘s welterweight division heading into Saturday night. Luque on the other hand has been one of the top welterweights in the division over the last few years who has just stumbled twice since his promotional debut.

Vicente Luque looks like he can become a UFC champion. He has tremendous striking, a fun style, and he’s very slick on the ground. However, his ground skills are rarely talked about considering how good he is on the feet. Well, at UFC 265 we saw how good his grappling was.

In the first round, Michael Chiesa landed a big takedown. Once he got on top of Luque, he was able to get to his back. Chiesa tried to lock in a choke and for a moment, it appeared that Chiesa was going to get the win at UFC 265.

However, Luque powered through and ended up on top. Both men started a scramble and Chiesa left his neck exposed. Luque locked in a d’arce choke and shocked everyone by submitting the ground specialist in the first round.

What’s next after UFC 265?

This was another huge win for Luque who has won four fights in a row. In his last 16 UFC fights, Luque holds an astonishing record of 14-2. The only two losses he’s had have come against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Leon Edwards (19-3).

In thinking about what comes next following UFC 265, there’s one fight that stands out for me. That’s a fight with Leon Edwards. In reality, Edwards has done enough to earn himself a UFC title shot.

That said, if he wants to fight for the title next, he’s going to be waiting a while. Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington are fighting in November for the title. If Edwards wants a UFC title shot, he’s likely not going to get it until spring of 2022.

With how inactive Edwards has been, he needs another fight. Luque is currently ranked fourth in the welterweight division and a fight between the two men would give the division a clear number one contender after Covington. Neither has fought for the title either so it would make a ton of sense.

These two did fight back in 2017 with Edwards picking up the decision win. This is a great matchup and I think the UFC would be wise to try and book this one.

What’s next for Michael Chiesa after UFC 265?

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One of the more highly anticipated fights at UFC 265 was the welterweight contest between Michael Chiesa (18-5) and Vicente Luque (20-8-1). Both men were looking to make the jump into title contention with a win.

Michael Chiesa had struggled for years to make the UFC‘s lightweight limit of 155 pounds. Eventually, Chiesa decided to scrap fighting at 155 and moved up to the welterweight division.

That decision has really paid off for Chiesa. Chiesa started out a perfect 4-0 in the welterweight division which included a five-round win over Neil Magny. Those four straight wins put him in there with Vicente Luque.

At UFC 265, the fight started out extremely well for Chiesa. Chiesa actually was able to land a couple of really good combinations on the feet. However, after Luque buckled his leg with a vicious kick, Chiesa decided to take the fight to the ground.

Chiesa had no troubles taking down Luque. Once they were on the ground, Chiesa was able to get the back of Luque and he started working on a submission. He almost had a rear-naked choke in and after the fight, Luque said the choke was about 80% in.

However, Luque battled through and they ended up in a scramble. Once there, Chiesa left his neck exposed and Luque locked in a d’arce choke. Chiesa fought it, but ultimately tapped and suffered defeat at UFC 265.

What’s next after UFC 265?

This is a really hard loss for Chiesa to swallow. It’s a difficult loss because he had the win right there for the taking and just couldn’t finish the submission. Then leaving his neck exposed ended the fight.

After suffering his first loss in the UFC’s welterweight division, what should be next for Chiesa? Well, Chiesa isn’t going to drop far especially considering him and Luque are both top six welterweights.

I believe the perfect next opponent for Michael Chiesa is Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-5-1). Wonderboy was just in a similar position as Chiesa fighting Luque’s best friend and training partner Gilbert Burns.

Like Chiesa, Thompson fell short, but he’s still in the top six of the UFC’s welterweight division. With both being in such a similar position, it just makes sense to put them together in a fight.

Vicente Luque submits Michael Chiesa in the first at UFC 265

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On the main card of UFC 265, we saw a pivotal matchup in the welterweight division. The fifth and sixth ranked welterweights went head-to-head as Michael Chiesa (18-4) took on Vicente Luque (20-7-1).

Luque was looking to pick up his fourth consecutive win at UFC 265. Luque has been fighting with the promotion since 2015 and he’s consistently been one of the best. After losing his UFC debut, he’s gone 13-2.

Standing across from Luque was Michael Chiesa. Chiesa has completely changed his career after moving to the welterweight division. For years, Chiesa struggled to get down to lightweight. Eventually, he decided to move up to his natural weight class of 170 pounds.

Since making that move, Chiesa has been sensational. He’s gone 4-0 in the UFC‘s welterweight division. Back in January he had a dominant five-round victory over Neil Magny to setup this fight with Vicente Luque.

UFC 265 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 265 welterweight contest kicked off with a touch of the gloves. Chiesa circled on the outside as Luque pushed forward with pressure to start. Both men flick out jabs to start their striking.

Nice leg kick lands for Luque. Another powerful kick lands for Luque as Chiesa keeps circling on the outside. Chiesa lands a nice left hand which snapped the head back of Luque. Chiesa steps forward with a 1-2, but Luque counters with a leg kick.

Another beautiful 1-2 from Chiesa and Luque is busted open. Luque lands a leg kick that buckles Chiesa. Chiesa shoots deep on a takedown and he gets it. Doesn’t take long before Chiesa gets the back of Luque.

Chiesa is close to getting a choke, but Luque powers through. A scramble and Luque ends up on top. Out of no where, Luque locks in a d’arce choke and it’s deep. Chiesa tries to fight it, but he’s forced to tap. Huge win at UFC 265 for Vicente Luque.

Vicente Luque def. Michael Chiesa by Submission (D’Arce Choke) – Round 1

UFC 265 Preview: Michael Chiesa – Vicente Luque

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Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC 265, we will see a pivotal matchup in the welterweight division. The fifth and sixth ranked welterweights go head-to-head as Michael Chiesa (18-4) takes on Vicente Luque (20-7-1).

Luque will be looking to pick up his fourth consecutive win tomorrow night at UFC 265. Luque has been fighting with the promotion since 2015 and he’s consistently been one of the best. After losing his UFC debut, he’s gone 13-2.

Those two losses came against Leon Edwards and Stephen Thompson. Luque has consistently gone on winning streaks, but he seems to falter when he reaches the very top of the division. At UFC 265, he’s looking to change that narrative.

Standing across from Luque is Michael Chiesa. Chiesa has completely changed his career after moving to the welterweight division. For years, Chiesa struggled to get down to lightweight. Eventually, he decided to move up to his natural weight class of 170 pounds.

Since making that move, Chiesa has been sensational. He’s gone 4-0 in the UFC‘s welterweight division. Back in January he had a dominant five-round victory over Neil Magny to setup this fight with Vicente Luque. Chiesa is hoping a win vaults him into the title picture.

UFC 265 Prediction

When thinking about this matchup at UFC 265, it’s pretty easy to see the path to victory for both men. For Michael Chiesa, it’s all going to be about the takedown and his control.

There really isn’t a secret to his game plan at UFC 265. Chiesa is going to look to close the distance and get Luque to the ground to avoid standing with him. Luque on the other hand wants this to be a striking matchup.

If these two strike for three rounds, Vicente Luque is going to walk away the winner. However, if Chiesa can get Luque to the ground or make him tired by utilizing a ton of grappling, he can easily win this fight.

I wouldn’t be surprised by either man winning tomorrow night, but I’m going to go with Vicente Luque. Expect Luque to keep this fight standing enough over three rounds to win at least two rounds and get the nod on the scorecards.

Prediction: Vicente Luque by Unanimous Decision

After his win at UFC 260, what’s next for Vicente Luque?

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This past Saturday at UFC 260, Vicente Luque (20-7-1) had a massive opportunity in the co-main event of the evening. Luque got the chance to take on former welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley (19-7-1).

Entering UFC 260, Luque was 12-2 in his last fourteen fights inside the octagon. The only losses in that stretch were to Leon Edwards and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.

Taking on a former UFC champion gave Luque the opportunity to get the biggest win of his career and he didn’t let it pass him by. Tyron Woodley has been extremely passive over his last few fights.

The former welterweight champion just seemed zoned out and as a result, he was dominated in three straight fights. On Saturday night, his back was against the wall and he fought like it.

Instead of moving immediately backwards, Woodley ran across the octagon and threw big shots. The former UFC champion was desperate for a win and you could tell. However, Luque remained calm during the storm.

Late in the round, Woodley landed a massive shot that seemingly buckled Luque. However, Woodley came in wild and Luque was able to land an even bigger shot that completely rocked the former champion.

The fight didn’t last long after that. Luque continued to hurt Woodley which forced the former champion to shoot for a takedown. It was a sloppy attempt and it allowed Luque to lock up a choke and get the massive win at UFC 260.

What’s next after UFC 260?

With his win on Saturday night, Luque jumped up to the sixth spot in the updated UFC rankings. After the fight was over, Luque called for a fight with Nate Diaz. This is the second straight fight he’s done this.

However, he’s not going to get that fight. Last night, it was announced that Diaz would be fighting Leon Edwards at UFC 262. With that, Vicente Luque is going to have to look at different options.

To me, there is a perfect opponent right next to him in the rankings. The perfect opponent for Luque next is Michael Chiesa (18-4). Chiesa is unbeaten at welterweight and whoever were to win that potential matchup would be ready for a title eliminator.

UFC: Gilbert Burns wants Colby Covington or Michael Chiesa next

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UFC 258 was the night that Gilbert Burns (19-4) had been waiting for. Burns finally got his chance to become welterweight champion and he got to face off against his former teammate, Kamaru Usman (17-1).

Originally, the two men were supposed to fight at UFC 251. However, a week before the fight, Burns tested positive for COVID and the fight was cancelled. Jorge Masvidal (35-14) ended up getting the shot against Usman.

After Usman won at UFC 251, the fight between him and Burns was tentatively scheduled for December. However, Usman needed additional training time due to some lingering injuries and Burns was asked again to wait.

Finally, last month, Burns got his shot. The fight couldn’t have started any better for Burns. Burns landed a massive shot that briefly put down and hurt the welterweight champion. It looked like it was going to be the crowning moment for Burns.

However, after that big shot, the fight drastically changed. Usman regained his composure and Burns looked uncharacteristically tired. The UFC champion started peppering Burns with power shots and ultimately put him down for good in the third round.

UFC return for Gilbert Burns

Gilbert Burns laid in the cage and cried after the referee called a stop to the action at UFC 258. All of the waiting just to get off to a fast start before gassing and having Usman put him away in the third round.

It’s no surprise that Gilbert Burns is ready to get back into the octagon. Burns’ manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto today that he’s ready to go. The Burns camp has asked the UFC for a fight against either Colby Covington (16-2) or Michael Chiesa (18-4) next.

Covington said this week that he’s wanting a UFC title shot next. However, Abdelaziz (who also reps Kamaru Usman) said that Covington needs to win again before getting a rematch. Of course, this should sit well with Covington considering that Jorge Masvidal is getting an immediate rematch. 

I don’t see Covington being likely for Burns. I do really like the idea of fighting Michael Chiesa. Since moving to the UFC’s welterweight division, Chiesa is 4-0. Chiesa, like Gilbert Burns, used to struggle to make lightweight and has turned his career around at 170 pounds.

Chiesa just defeated Neil Magny back in January and has been nursing some injuries. However, he should be ready to go for his next matchup soon. I think this is likely going to be where the UFC goes. The fight makes perfect sense given where both men currently are.

After falling short at UFC 258, what’s next for Gilbert Burns?

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This past Saturday at UFC 258, Gilbert Burns (19-4) finally got his shot at Kamaru Usman (18-1). Burns was originally supposed to fight for the title back in July of last year, but a positive COVID test prevented the fight from happening.

Then, the two were supposed to fight at UFC 256 in December. However, Usman needed more time to recover after sustaining injuries in his last fight. The two finally got their chance to see who was better at UFC 258.

The fight couldn’t have started better for Gilbert Burns. Burns’ speed was blistering and he hurt Usman bad in the opening exchanges. However, Burns got overzealous in going for the kill and it seemed to drain him a bit.

After Burns couldn’t put the champion away, he appeared to be fatigued from an adrenaline dump. Usman started to go to work after that point. With a piston-like jab, Usman started beating up the challenger in the second round.

Between the second and third rounds at UFC 258, Burns was dropped three times before the referee called a stop to the action. Burns was extremely emotional in the octagon after the crushing loss. So after falling short on Saturday, what’s next for Gilbert Burns?

What’s next after UFC 258?

Everything in the UFC’s welterweight division has seemingly turned on it’s head. A week ago, the promotion had Khamzat Chimaev – Leon Edwards booked and they were working on Jorge Masvidal – Colby Covington for The Ultimate Fighter.

However, after the Chimaev – Edwards fight fell through, Dana White said that the UFC is looking at booking Covington – Edwards. With that, it appears that Jorge Masvidal (35-14) is going to get the next title shot after Kamaru Usman called him out on Saturday. 

With knowing these new directions, where does that leave Gilbert Burns? Well, if Colby Covington (16-2) and Leon Edwards (18-3) do fight in March, Burns could take on the loser in his next fight. Perhaps even the winner depending on how the title fight timeline shakes up.

A couple of additional options would be a fight with Michael Chiesa (18-4) or Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1). Those are the opponents that make the most sense for Burns. Gilbert Burns isn’t going away and he’s perhaps only just a win or two away from getting another title shot.

What’s next Michael Chiesa after UFC Fight Island 8?

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Yesterday, Michael Chiesa (18-4) remained unbeaten at welterweight. In the main event of UFC Fight Island 8, Chiesa took on Neil Magny (24-8). Magny entered the contest on a three-fight win streak after a sensational 2020.

Both men ranked just inside the top ten of the UFC‘s welterweight division. Whoever won this fight was poised to make a run at a top five opponent in their next one. Originally, I thought Magny would have the advantage in a decision fight.

Magny has five-round experience while Chiesa has never gone past the third round. Combine that with the fact that Magny had an active 2020 while Chiesa recovered from injuries and I thought this was going to be Magny’s fight.

I was wrong about that one. At UFC Fight Island 8, Michael Chiesa delivered a fantastic performance that saw him win four of the five rounds on all three judges scorecards. Chiesa looked incredibly in the UFC main event yesterday.

I was really impressed with his ability to land shots on Magny while closing the distance. In addition to that, Chiesa also did a number on Magny in dominating the grappling exchanges. Michael Chiesa made a statement with his win and his callout yesterday after the fight.

What’s next after UFC Fight Island 8?

In his post-fight interview, Chiesa made a big callout of Colby Covington (16-2). The former interim UFC welterweight champion currently doesn’t have a fight lined up and Chiesa made it clear that he wants that fight.

Unfortunately for him, I don’t believe he’s getting that fight. The UFC has made it very clear that they are trying to book Covington against his rival and former friend, Jorge Masvidal (35-14).

With Covington not an option, the UFC has a couple of options in my opinion. In a few weeks, Kamaru Usman (17-1) is defending his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns (19-3). Depending on how that fight goes, I could see the promotion giving Chiesa the loser of that fight.

Another option could be Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-4-1). Wonderboy also doesn’t have a fight, but he’s dealing with some injuries and his timetable for a return is uncertain. Should he be able to go relatively soon, that would be another fun matchup for Chiesa.