Things did not go as planned for [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] at UFC 265.
Chiesa took on Vicente Luque in a high-stakes welterweight clash on the main card of UFC 235 in Houston, with the winner potentially one fight away from a title shot.
Unfortunately for Chiesa (17-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) he will have more work to do after suffering a first-round submission loss to Luque on Saturday in a moment that left him more than “embarrassed.”
Shortly after the fight concluded, Chiesa took to social media to release a statement about his opponent and his future in the division:
Hats off to @VicenteLuqueMMA 👊🏼#visionquest pic.twitter.com/ppFvWgT6QB
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) August 8, 2021
I want to jump out in front of this now. First and most importantly, congrats to @luquevicente, he’s a stone cold killer and a class act. I look forward to seeing what’s next for him. It was an honor sharing the octagon with him. To say I’m embarrassed is an understatement. Physically I was in the best shape of my life, mentally I was battling myself every single day. I put too much pressure on myself this fight and I cracked. Historically throughout my career, every time I have faced adversity and came up short, I’ve turned around and grown tremendously. A couple more wins and I’ll be back in the mix. The goal remains the same, my belief is still just as strong and I love every single person that supports me so much that it hurts.
Chiesa was running hot after moving up to the welterweight division, winning his first four bouts in the weight class against stiff competition. He spoke about feeling better than ever after not having to worry about weight cutting as much. He knew he was in for a tough fight on Saturday, but was confident in his ability to get the job done.
While Luque snapped his four-fight win streak, Chiesa remains focused on climbing the ladder to the top of the division in the near future.
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