Tag: Michael Chiesa

UFC on ESPN 65: How to watch Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy, start time, Las Vegas fight card, odds, more (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC on ESPN 65 on ESPN and ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC is back in its “Sin City” home base this week with UFC on ESPN 65 in Las Vegas.

Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 65 with a pair of featherweight scrappers at the top of the card.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC on ESPN 65 has a main card that starts at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.

Veteran broadcaster [autotag]Karyn Bryant[/autotag] serves as desk anchor and host at UFC on ESPN 65.

Retired veteran lightweight [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag], former Invicta FC champion [autotag]Michelle Waterson-Gomez[/autotag] and “The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] join her at the desk as analysts at the desk throughout the broadcast and on the post-fight show.

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC on ESPN 65 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Brendan Fitzgerald[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC on ESPN 65.

He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] and former UFC/WEC bantamweight champion [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag].

Brendan Fitzgerald, Dominick Cruz, Michael Bisping

(Mike Bohn—MMA Junkie)

Main event: Josh Emmett

Record: 19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC
Opponent: Lerone Murphy (15-0-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Bryce Mitchell, Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige, Shane Burgos, Mirsad Bektic, Ricardo Lamas
Misc.: Emmett is coming off what no doubt was a particularly satisfying result when he sent professed nazi and Hitler fan and sympathizer Bryce Mitchell into a deep enough realm that when he woke up and saw his shadow, it guaranteed at least six more years of him thinking the earth is flat. That snapped a two-fight skid to Ilia Topuria and Yair Rodriguez, the latter of which was in an interim title fight.

Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Josh Emmett (red gloves) reacts after knocking out Bryce Mitchell (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Main event: Lerone Murphy

Record: 15-0-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC
Opponent: Josh Emmett (19-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Dan Ige, Edson Barboza,
Misc.: For the second time in three fights, England’s Murphy is in a main event. His first, against Edson Barboza less than a year ago, was a Fight of the Night winner. His climb up the UFC ladder has been steady, but a win over Emmett with Barboza and Dan Ige the two before it would be a stellar resume notch.

Lerone Murphy def. Dan Ige, UFC 308 (via UFC)

Co-main event: Joanderson Brito

Record: 17-4-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC
Opponent: Pat Sabatini (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Jack Shore, Jonathan Pearce, Andre Fili, Diego Lopes, Chepe Mariscal
Misc.: Brito had a five-fight winning streak snapped by a split decision loss to William Gomis in Paris this past September. The five wins before that all were stoppages, including two for post-fight bonus awards.

Co-main event: Pat Sabatini

Record: 19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC
Opponent: Joanderson Brito (17-4-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Jonathan Pearce, Lucas Almeida, Jamal Emmers
Misc.: Sabatini has traded wins and losses his past five fights, but got back on the uptick with a first-round submission of Jonathan Pearce this past fall.

UFC debut: Torrez Finney

Record: 10-0
Opponent: Rob Valentin (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Middlweight
Misc.: For some reason, a whole bunch of fighters have gotten into the UFC with underwhelming decision wins on DWCS. Anymore, it seems like the only requirement is win and you win a contract. That wasn’t the case for Finney, who finally will make an actual UFC walk – after three wins on DWCS. His first one was a submission in 2023 that wasn’t good enough – and he was the only one on the card who didn’t get a contract that show. A decision in 2024 wasn’t good enough, either – and again he was the only one on the card who left the building without a contract from Dana White, even though another decision winner got a deal. The same season, he returned and got a stoppage win – and finally a deal.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 01: Torrez Finney reacts after defeating Abdellah Er-Ramy of Morocco in their middleweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week eight event at UFC Apex on October 1, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

UFC debut: Luis Gurule

Record: 10-0
Opponent: Ode Osbourne (12-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Misc.: Gurule’s split decision win on DWCS this past October was enough to get the 31-year-old Coloradan into the UFC.

UFC debut: Daniel Frunza

Record: 9-2
Opponent: Rhys McKee (13-6-1 MMA, 0-4 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Misc.: Italy-based 30-year-old punched his ticket to the UFC through DWCS this past fall. He has five straight wins, and eight of nine in his career have been stoppages – all knockouts.

UFC debut: Uran Satybaldiev

Record: 9-0
Opponent: Martin Buday (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Misc.: A short-notice UFC opportunity was an easy call for Satybaldiev, from Kyrgyzstan. He normally fights at light heavyweight and comes to the promotion as LFA’s 205-pound champion. But for his debut, he won’t have to stress about cutting weight. He has seven of his nine wins by stoppage, including his two LFA title fights in 2024.

UFC on ESPN 65 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Josh Emmett +260 vs. Lerone Murphy -325
  • Joanderson Brito -230 vs. Pat Sabatini +190
  • ChangHo Lee -135 vs. Cortavious Romious +115
  • Gerald Meerschaert +165 vs. Brad Tavares -200
  • Luis Gurule -265 vs. Ode Osbourne +215
  • Torrez Finney -305 vs. Rob Valentin +245

UFC on ESPN 65 prelim betting odds

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 20: (L-R) Vanessa Demopoulos punches Karolina Kowalkiewicz of Poland in a strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 20, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Dione Barbosa -1000 vs. Diana Belbita +650
  • Daniel Frunza -155 vs. Rhys McKee +130
  • Loma Lookboonmee -700 vs. Istela Nunes +500
  • Pedro Falcao +185 vs. Victor Henry -220
  • Martin Buday N/A vs. Uran Satybaldiev N/A
  • Talita Alencar -110 vs. Vanessa Demopoulos -110

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.

Michael Chiesa admits it’s hard to say if Colby Covington fight happens: ‘He’s no-selling me’

Michael Chiesa still wants to fight Colby Covington, but isn’t sure the interest is reciprocated.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] still wants to fight [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], but isn’t sure the interest is reciprocated.

Both Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) and Chiesa (17-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) are serving as assistant coaches for Season 33 of “The Ultimate Fighter” – with Covington on Team Chael Sonnen, and “TUF 15” winner Chiesa on Team Daniel Cormier.

Cormier and Sonnen suggested that Covington and Chiesa fight after the airing of the show, but Covington has since taken the opportunity to trash Chiesa.

“It’s hard to say (if it will happen),” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “Colby kind of keeps to himself. It would be hard to be at – if it’s a zero out of 10 in terms of the ‘Chaos’ side of Colby Covington, it’s hard to be at a 10 all the time. There was some interactions (between us) – a lot of them off-camera.

“But I’m sure they interviewed him and asked for his opinion about me, and they did the same for me. That’s all I can say. I don’t know what’s going to come of it. I expressed interest in fighting Colby for years. I know it’s a tough fight. It’s a really, really hard fight, honestly. Stylistically it’s a very tough matchup for me.”

Chiesa’s desire to fight Covington is not about “The Ultimate Fighter.” Outside of previously calling him out, Chiesa shared an interesting story that has linked him to Covington for years.

“There’s always been this weird history between him and I that he didn’t even know about,” Chiesa said. “My high school wrestling coach was his college coach’s brother. Once Colby and I got in the UFC, Dusty, my coach, would be like, ‘I think my guy can whoop your guy’s ass.’ That’s when it started. And this was before Colby became Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington. He was a lot more humble. He didn’t speak as much. He wasn’t this outgoing guy yet.

“At that time, I was at ’55. Then I went up to ’70 and obviously once you start winning fights, you’re calling for the bigger ones so you can make your way up the ladder. That’s a fight I would always take. If it was ever offered to me, I’m going to say yes at the drop of a hat. We’ll see what happens. I don’t have a fight scheduled yet. I know I need to have a conversation with Sean (Shelby) and the team about what the plan is, what we’re going to do. I’m interested. I want to hear what he says about me on ‘TUF.’ He’s no-selling me. I’m interested to see what he says.”

Covington was recently asked about his interest in fighting Chiesa in an interview with Submission Radio, which he immediately shut down.

“Another irrelevant bum who got submitted by Kevin Lee,” Covington said. “The only reason he has any type of hype is because Kevin Lee made his mom famous. So, there’s just no interest there. He’s a nobody. He’s a bum. But you know what? He was a great example for the Sonnen system and for Team Sonnen. We were able to tell these fighters that this is the perfect representation of what you don’t want to do when you win ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’

“Don’t be a Michael Chiesa. Don’t become a irrelevant bum who rides other people’s meat for a form of transportation, and I’m talking about him riding DC’s (Cormier) meat for transportation to try and get a big fight with me. He’s just not a big fight, and he doesn’t do any business for the company. So, they’ve never offered me the fight, and I know that’s not going to interest the UFC. So, I want to do what’s in the best interest of the UFC.”

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Michael Chiesa touts former foe Sean Brady’s ‘mutant-like strength’ after Leon Edwards finish

Michael Chiesa verifies Sean Brady’s strength is different after their UFC fight, and thinks Leon Edwards should’ve known better.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] has experienced what it’s like to be in the octagon with [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag], and thinks Leon Edwards made a serious miscalculation in the UFC Fight Night 255 main event.

Chiesa (20-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) suffered a unanimous decision loss to Brady (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 198 in November 2021. The welterweight veteran, who also serves as a prominent analyst for the UFC and ESPN, was intrigued to see how his former opponent would deal with ex-champion Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the biggest fight of his career this past Saturday at The O2 in London, and it turned out to be a one-sided affair that led to a fourth-round submission result.

In the aftermath of the fight, Brady criticized Edwards for not focusing enough on the task at hand and dwindling on his title loss to Belal Muhammad in July. Chiesa backed that stance, and thinks Edwards did not realize the caliber of opponent he was stepping into the cage with.

“Sean’s a tremendous athlete,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “Incredibly skilled, incredibly strong. I could’ve warned Leon about that heading into that fight. You can’t really makes jokes about the short-guy thing. … Somebody should’ve warned Leon. This isn’t some short guy. You’re not going to just lace this guy with a head kick. You are going to have to deal with the strongest fighter you’ve ever faced in your life. There’s no guy you can bring in to emulate the strength of Sean Brady, because you would have to find a guy that’s like 210 pounds. He’s that strong. I remember the first time he wrapped his hands around my waist when we fought, I was just like, ‘Holy crap. (Paul) Felder totally was right.’ He has like mutant-like strength. I wasn’t surprised.

“Sean really turned a corner after that Belal Muhammad fight and when you saw him fight Belal, you saw a lot more lateral movement, it looked like he was trying to be more technical on the feet. I think where he turned the corner after Belal is where he was just like, ‘Screw this.’ He can just walk these guys down with big punches, get them on their heels, get them on the mat and get them into his wheelhouse. He turned a corner after that Belal fight. It’s safe to say you could argue he could be the next guy to fight for the title. We’ll see how everything shakes out, but we’re seeing a big paradigm shift at 170 pounds and it’s very, very exciting.”

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Brady’s victory added further depth to the title picture at 170 pounds. Reigning champ Muhammad will next defend against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 on May 10, then undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov is expected to get the winner. Beyond that, Brady’s name is now in the fold, then someone like lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could be a factor if he ever moves up.

Much will be decided about who the best welterweight in the world is over the coming months. Chiesa thinks Brady might be that guy, but given what he’s seen thus far, his support remains behind Muhammad.

“I do think Belal beats JDM,” Chiesa said. “I think that’s a good fight for him. I’m not trying to be disrespectful or dismissive of his skills. He’s an incredible boxer. We’ve seen him have trouble in the past with the wrestling department. Belal is a pressure monster. He’s going to be in your face, he’s going to be in your face, he’s very durable. JDM has got to be ready to defend the takedowns, but not only ready to defend the takedowns, but defend the pressure. It’s hard to come forward with boxing pressure when the guy is going to mash you with wrestling, and Belal does a good job mixing up the wrestling with the striking to keep his opponents guessing. I see Belal winning this fight, but this time next year is going to be very interesting. I think the tougher matchups for Belal are on the horizon.

“I think Sean Brady, if they fought again, I think he’s a different fighter. His style is similar to Belal’s in terms of the pressure and the wrestling. But he’s just got that edge with the submissions. I don’t know how that fight goes. I think it would be a different fight. But you’ve got Shavkat the boogeyman waiting in the wings. He did look a lot more human against Ian Garry, but once the fight unfolded we found out he went into that fight with a knee injury. Islam going up could really shake things up. If Shavkat wins the title, I don’t know how Islam fares against him. The pick of the bunch, I think I’m going to stick with Belal Muhammad because I think people doubt him so much, I would like to think that he beats JDM, I would like to think he could beat Sean Brady again, but I think that’s the toughest of the fights for Belal, would be a fight with Sean Brady. I’m just picking Belal because I’m done picking against the guy.”

To hear more from Chiesa, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 255.

UFC Fight Night 254: How to watch Marvin Vettori vs. Roman Dolidze, start time, Las Vegas fight card, odds, more (Updated)

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC Fight Night 254 on ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC stays in its Las Vegas home base for the third straight week, and in this final one, a former middleweight title challenger is at the top of the lineup.

Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 254 with 185-pounders in the headlining spot, plus a fun welterweight scrap in the co-feature.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC Fight Night 254 has a main card that starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+</a. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET.

Veteran broadcaster [autotag]Karyn Bryant[/autotag] serves as desk anchor and host at UFC Fight Night 254.

Former UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], “The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] and coach [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] join her as analysts at the desk.

UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre- and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC Fight Night 254 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Brendan Fitzgerald[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC Fight Night 254.

He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by retired former former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] and UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag].

Brendan Fitzgerald, Dominick Cruz, Michael Bisping

Main event: Marvin Vettori

Record: 19-7-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC
Opponent: Roman Dolidze (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Roman Dolidze, Paulo Costa, Kevin Holland, Jack Hermansson
Misc.: A five-fight winning streak got him a 2021 title shot against then-champ Israel Adesanya. But after that unanimous decision loss, he’s alternated wins and losses – and the setbacks have been against former champs and title challengers. The fight against Dolidze is a rematch from two years ago that Vettori won.

Marvin Vettori

Main event: Roman Dolidze

Record: 14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC
Opponent: Marvin Vettori (19-7-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Kevin Holland, Anthony Smith, Jack Hermansson
Misc.: Dolidze had four straight wins and three straight bonuses when he was outworked by Vettori in their first meeting in 2023. He lost a decision to Nassourdine Imavov after that, but now has back-to-back wins over Holland Smith from 2024.

Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Roman Dolidze (blue gloves) fights Anthony Smith (red gloves) during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Co-main event: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

Record: 25-8-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC
Opponent: Chidi Njokuani (24-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Benoit Saint-Denis, Sean Strickland
Misc.: Zaleski dos Santos got back on track with a 75-second knockout of then-unbeaten Zach Scroggin this past November.

Co-main event: Chidi Njokuani

Record: 24-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC
Opponent: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (25-8-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Jared Gooden, Dusko Todorovic, Marc-Andre Barriault
Misc.: After a three-fight skid, Njokuani is back on track with 2024 decision wins over Gooden and Rhys McKee.

UFC debut: Kevin Vallejos

Record: 14-1
Opponent: Seungwoo Choi (11-7 MMA, 4-6 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Misc.: THe 23-yeard-old took out Cam Teague with a first-round knockout on DWCS to get his UFC shot. His first shot on DWCS resulted in his only loss to date – to current UFC rising star Jean Silva.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 24: (R-L) Kevin Vallejos of Argentina punches Cam Teague in a featherweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season eight, week seven at UFC APEX on September 24, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

UFC debut: Diyar Nurgozhay

Record: 10-0
Opponent: Brendson Ribeiro (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Misc.: The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan has eight of his 10 wins by stoppage, including six knockouts. One of those came less than a year ago against 2019 $1 million PFL winner Emiliano Sordi.

UFC debut: Josias Musasa

Record: 8-0
Opponent: Carlos Vera (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: For the first time in his brief career, Musasa, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, had to go to the judges for a win. But it was on DWCS, and his split call over fellow unbeaten prospect Otari Tanzilovi was enough to get him to the show.

Josias Musasa def Otar Tanzilovi – DWCS 71

UFC debut: Yuneisy Duben

Record: 6-0
Opponent: Carli Judice (3-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Misc.: Born in Venezuela and fighting out of Pittsburgh, the 28-year-old has all her wins by stoppage, including a 73-second KO of Shannon Clark on DWCS to get into the UFC.

UFC Fight Night 254 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Marvin Vettori -150 vs. Roman Dolidze +125
  • Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos -205 vs. Chidi Njokuani +170
  • Alexander Hernandez -205 vs. Kurt Holobaugh +170
  • Da’Mon Blackshear -485 vs. Cody Gibson +370
  • Diyar Nurgozhay -375 vs. Brendson Ribeiro +295
  • Seungwoo Choi +440 vs. Kevin Vallejos -600

UFC Fight Night 254 prelim betting odds

Stephanie Luciano

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta -175 vs. Ryan Spann +145
  • A.J. Cunningham +455 vs. Su Young You -625
  • Josias Musasa -800 vs. Carlos Vera +550
  • Sam Hughes +190 vs. Stephanie Luciano -230
  • Daniel Barez +310 vs. Andre Lima -395
  • Priscila Cachoeira +155 vs. Josiane Nunes -185
  • Yuneisy Duben +285 vs. Carli Judice -360

Full fight videos

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.

Colby Covington rips ‘irrelevant bum’ Michael Chiesa for ‘riding off other people’s meats’

Could Colby Covington be trying to sell a potential UFC fight with Michael Chiesa?

Could [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] be trying to sell a potential UFC fight with [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]?

Both Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) and Chiesa are serving as assistant coaches for Season 33 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which is currently filming. Covington is on Team Chael Sonnen, while “TUF 15” winner Chiesa is on Team Daniel Cormier.

Cormier and Sonnen suggested that Covington face Chiesa (17-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) after the filming of the show. While Covington didn’t comment on the possibility of fighting Chiesa, he took the opportunity to go off on him.

“I think that’s everything you don’t want to do when you become ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ winner,” Covington said of Chiesa on his YouTube channel. “You don’t want to become an irrelevant bum who rides people’s meats – DC in particular for public transportation. Don’t be that guy riding off other people’s meats. Become a star. Be your own f*cking guy that has to sell himself.

“Don’t have to ride off of other people’s jocks like Michael Chiesa. He’s a great example of what you don’t want to do when you become an ‘Ultimate Fighter’ champion. He’s a great example for the kids on the show that I can tell them don’t be a Michael Chiesa. Be a Colby Covington, be a Daniel Cormier, be a Chael Sonnen. Those are how you get paid and make it in this industry.”

Chiesa called out Covington after quickly submitting Tony Ferguson at UFC on ABC 7 last August. He then submitted Max Griffin at UFC 310 this past December. Meanwhile, former interim welterweight champion Covington is 2-4 in his past six fights, most recently a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 63 main event.

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Michael Chiesa aims to break Demian Maia’s submission record after UFC 310 win

After capping off a “very special 24 hours” with a UFC 310 win, Michael Chiesa is setting some lofty goals.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] is putting any dialogue about a potential retirement behind him and setting some lofty goals for himself after UFC 310.

After a three-fight losing skid from 2021-2023 that left questions about the state of his career, Chiesa (18-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) has righted the ship this year. He submitted Tony Ferguson in August before becoming the first in MMA to tap out Max Griffin (20-11 MMA, 8-9 UFC) this past Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

With some momentum back on his side, the 37-year-old is reinvigorated. Chiesa stopped Griffin with his seventh rear-naked choke win in UFC competition, which trails only Demian Maia (nine) for most all-time in company history.

Chiesa said surpassing Maia is now one of his primary goals, and if he’s able to move toward that, it will parlay into greater overall movement in the welterweight division.

“I saw that I tied Kenny Florian with seven rear-naked choke finishes – now I’ve got to chase down the great Demian Maia and try to get past nine,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC 310. “It just created another little goal for me. Obviously the goal remains the same for me. I want to be the world champion, otherwise what’s the point of fighting? If you don’t think you’re the best in the world, if you’re not going to chase the title, what the hell are you doing it for?”

Chiesa said his victory at UFC 310 will go down as one of the most memorable of his career. Not because of the opponent, but because of the multiple unique circumstances around it.

“It’s been a very special 24 hours for me,” Chiesa said. “I’m not going to lie. Between getting my black belt (on Friday night) and getting a submission win on my birthday, I don’t think I’ll ever have a better 24-hour stretch in my life outside of my wedding. I’m very, very happy with my performance.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $8 million

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $8 million to athletes in 2024 under the Venum deal.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 310 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $368,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 310 took place at T-Mobile Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

The full UFC 310 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $6,000
[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Lukasz Brzeski[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $8,072,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $30,809,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310 video: Michael Chiesa finishes Max Griffin, calls for spot on Seattle card

UFC Seattle is officially official and Michael Chiesa wants on.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] is no stranger to the rear-naked choke, and he made that known once again Saturday at UFC 310.

In a welterweight bout on the preliminary card at T-Mobile Arena, Chiesa (18-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC) tapped [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] (20-11 MMA, 8-9 UFC) with his signature choke for the tap at 1:56 of Round 3.

After the fight, Chiesa called for a spot on the promotion’s Feb. 22 event in Seattle. Chiesa is a Spokane, Wash. native and has not competed in his home state since the promotion’s most recent visit in 2013.

Chiesa, 37, has now won two fights in a row. He defeated Tony Ferguson by submission in August. That win snapped a three-fight skid.

Griffin, 39, has now alternated wins and losses across his six most recent outings.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 310 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin at UFC 310: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Michael Chiesa’s third-round submission win over Max Griffin at UFC 310.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]’s third-round submission win over [autotag]Max Griffin[/autotag] at UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Fight and venue photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA Today Sports)

UFC 310: Michael Chiesa sees Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry going the distance

Michael Chiesa sees Shavkat Rakhmonov’s finishing streak coming to an end at UFC 310.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] sees [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]’s finishing streak coming to an end at UFC 310.

Unbeaten welterweights Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) square off in a five-round co-main event Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

A UFC analyst and welterweight, Chiesa picks Rakhmonov to beat Machado Garry but doesn’t believe he’ll stop him.

“I’ll keep it short, you know? There’s some sparring footage that came out of Ian Garry and Shavkat,” Chiesa told Sportskeeda. “I think that they’re both going to be very familiar with each other, and I will go out on a limb and say I think this fight goes to decision. I think these guys are familiar with each other enough to where they’re going to negate a few of the attacks, and it’s going to be a matter of who can come in there and throw a new wrinkle into their game, to throw off the opponent.

“I think for Shavkat, if he can find a way to get this fight to the mat, I think that could benefit him a lot. And for Ian, I think that it’s just going to be a matter of, I think that if he can change stances a little bit, use the kicks, I think he can have a lot of success. But when it’s all said and done, and the dust settles, I think Shavkat walks out with his hand raised and is the rightful No. 1 contender.”

Chiesa (17-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) competes on the same night as Rakhmonov vs. Garry when he takes on Max Griffin. In his most recent outing, the Season 15 “Ultimate Fighter” winner snapped a three-fight losing skid by submitting Tony Ferguson in the first round at UFC on ESPN 7 in August.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.