Tag: Michael Chiesa

Why Colby Covington? Michael Chiesa explains post-UFC on ESPN+ 24 callout

“I always say the most important time to ask for a fight is after you win.”

RALEIGH, N.C. – [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] took to the microphone moments after his UFC on ESPN+ 24 win over Rafael dos Anjos, and he was short.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 winner elected not to utilize the spotlight to gloat in the biggest victory of his career, no. Instead, Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) turned his attention to his next fight and called out former interim welterweight champion [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag].

While Chiesa didn’t physically drop the mic, he did in spirit. As soon as he made the callout, he walked out of the cage. Why is Chiesa interested in a matchup with Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC)?

“I just beat the No. 5 ranked guy in the world,” Chiesa said. “I always say the most important time to ask for a fight is after you win. You’ve got to capitalize. I’m not out to engage in some verbal pissing match with the guy. I respect his skills. He’s super tough. I’m just trying to get to a world title. I think that’s the fight that makes the most sense when you look at the top five.

“I said before the fight if I beat Rafael dos Anjos, I’m not fighting anyone who’s less than five. I’m taking his spot. Looking at the landscape of the division, that’s the fight that makes sense. I want to be tested. I want to fight the best, so Colby it is.”

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Covington most recently competed at UFC 245 in December. Taking on  UFC champion and bitter rival Kamaru Usman, Covington engaged in a back-and-forth war but suffered fifth-round TKO loss and a broken jaw in the process.

Chiesa started formulating his callout plans in mid-December. After seeing how UFC 245 went and what other welterweight matchups were being booked, Chiesa zoned in on Covington.

“I waited to see how (UFC) 245 ended,” Chiesa said. “I wanted to see what happened with Tyron (Woodley) and Leon (Edwards) and everybody. I think it’s a fight that makes sense. I wouldn’t go ask for some outlandish matchup.

“Anytime I’ve won a fight and asked for an opponent, I’ve usually gotten it. That’s because it’s all well thought out. I just don’t throw things against the wall that aren’t going to stick. I just think it’s a fight that makes sense. I think it’s a fight I could get, so we’ll see what happens.”

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UFC on ESPN+ 24 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Three veterans take home $20k

UFC on ESPN+ 24 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $169,000.

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 on ESPN+ 24 took place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 24 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bevon Lewis[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Felipe Colares[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Tony Gravely[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’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 $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

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 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $334,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $31,338,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN+ 24 with AC/DC, Ted Nugent and Whitney Houston

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 24 went with as their backing tracks in Raleigh, N.C.

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UFC on ESPN+ 24: Michael Chiesa full post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN+ 24: Michael Chiesa full post-fight interview

UFC on ESPN+ 24: Michael Chiesa full post-fight interview

Twitter reacts to Michael Chiesa’s victory over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN+ 24

See the top Twitter reactions to Michael Chiesa’s win over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN+ 24.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] remained perfect as a welterweight on Saturday when he defeated former champ [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN+ 24 co-headliner.

After moving up from lightweight this past year, Chiesa (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) moved to 3-0 at 170 pounds with his most notable win to date. He beat dos Anjos (30-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) by unanimous decision to emerge on top from the co-main event matchup, which took place at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., and streamed on ESPN+.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Chiesa’s victory over dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN+ 24.

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UFC on ESPN+ 24 results: Michael Chiesa decisions Rafael dos Anjos, calls out Colby Covington

Michael Chiesa’s grappling control was the difference in his UFC Raleigh co-main event win.

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] might not have inflicted a whole lot of damage, but his grappling control against [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] was the difference on Saturday in his UFC on ESPN+ 24 co-main event win.

Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) improved to a perfect 3-0 since moving up to the welterweight division in December 2018 and beat a former undisputed UFC champ for the first time by outworking dos Anjos (29-13 MMA, 18-11 UFC) over three rounds to take a unanimous decision.

The welterweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 24 co-main event at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., and streamed on ESPN+.

Following his win, Chiesa took no time targeting his next opponent, taking aim at former interim UFC welterweight champ Colby Covington.

“I’d like to cut this interview short and call out my next opponent,” Chiesa said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “Colby Covington, I’ll see you in July.”

That was a big callout after a stellar performance.

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After getting a feeling of the range and distance, Chiesa initiated a grappling exchange to much success. He managed to lock up from the clinch and take the fight to the ground, getting on dos Anjos’ back and securing the body triangle just over two minutes in. Chiesa went to apply his signature rear-naked choke, but dos Anjos was wise to it, despite struggling to free himself of Chiesa’s grip. He eventually scrambled to the feet, but only managed to land a body kick before getting tangled up on the fence for the rest of the round.

Chiesa’s gameplan went well in the opening frame, and he went right back to it in Round 2. He pressed forward on dos Anjos and got a takedown less than a minute in. He couldn’t maintain a dominant position, though, and that allowed dos Anjos to avoid being tied up for too long. Dos Anjos landed a pair of kicks in open space that got Chiesa’s attention, and that caused “The Ultimate Fighter” winner to get back into the clinch. He couldn’t do much other than hold, and when dos Anjos broke away he landed some solid punch and kick combinations. Chiesa found his way back into the body lock again, however, and burned clock until the end of the round, but with no damage inflicted.

It didn’t take long into the third and final round for Chiesa to make good with his grappling as he closed the distance on dos Anjos, got a takedown and got solid position from half guard. He controlled dos Anjos and took time off the clock while going for initial submission setups, but he couldn’t do anything to truly put dos Anjos in danger of being stopped. His pursuit of the finish and minutes of top control were enough to score points to tip the scale in his favor, though, and give him the decision win by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 24 results include:

UFC Fight Night 166: Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos, Preview, Fight Card, Live Stream, How to Watch

It’s a bunch of familiar faces at UFC Fight Night 166 with Junior dos Santos and Rafael dos Anjos among the fighters. Here’s how to watch

Fight Night 166 features a few big names old-school fans will have fond memories of, but they’ll be tested against some newer faces. You’ll only be able to watch the UFC stream on ESPN+.

At the top of the fight card is Junior dos Santos who will take on Curtis Blaydes for what will effectively be the No. 3 spot in the Heavyweight division. Both dos Santos and Blaydes have recently lost to the second-ranked Francis Ngannou, with a win potentially pushing them back into a rematch with the Cameroonian fighter

But before that, Rafael dos Anjos will fight Michael Chiesa. It has been a long fall for dos Anjos, losing two of his three fights since losing to Colby Covington at UFC 225 for the interim Welterweight Championship. Another loss here could spark the end to his contender role while potentially pushing Chiesa into the top-5.

For more of the UFC schedule, make sure you’re subscribed to ESPN+. With tons of fights already lined up for 2020 that you’ll only be able to catch on the ESPN+, it’s worth the price for true UFC fans.

How to watch UFC Fight Night 166:

Who: Curtis Blaydes (11-2) vs. Junior dos Santos (21-5)

When: Saturday, Jan. 25, 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC

UFC stream:

UFC live stream: Watch the UFC fight tonight on ESPN+.

Main Card (8 p.m. ET)

  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior dos Santos – Heavyweight
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa – Welterweight
  • Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez – Flyweight
  • Hannah Cifers vs. Angela Hill – Women’s Strawweight
  • Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stosic – Light Heavyweight

Prelims (5 p.m. ET)

  • Bevon Lewis vs. Dequan Townsend – Middleweight
  • Arnold Allen vs. Nik Lentz – Featherweight
  • Justice Kish vs. Lucie Pudilova – Women’s Flyweight
  • Montel Jackson vs. Felipe Colares – Bantamweight
  • Ara McMann vs. Lina Lansberg – Women’s Bantamweight
  • Brett Johns vs. Tony Gravely – Bantamweight
  • Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr – Featherweight

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

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UFC on ESPN+ 24 predictions: Can ex-champ Junior Dos Santos upset Curtis Blaydes?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC on ESPN+ 24 main card in Raleigh, N.C., featuring Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos.

Blaydes
vs.
Dos Santos		 Chiesa
vs.
Dos Anjos		 Espinosa
vs.
Perez		 Cifers
vs.
A. Hill		 J. Hill
vs.
Stosic
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 3-1		 blaydes2020
Blaydes
(62%)		 dosanjos2020
Dos Anjos
(62%)		 perez2020
Perez
(85%)		 cifers2020
Cifers
(52%)		 jhill2020
J. Hill
(63%)
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 4-0
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 dosanjos2020
Dos Anjos		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 4-0		 dossantos2020
Dos Santos		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 3-1
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 3-1		 dossantos2020
Dos Santos		 dosanjos2020
Dos Anjos		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 3-1		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 dosanjos2020
Dos Anjos		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 3-1		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 3-1		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 cifers2020
Cifers		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 3-1
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 dosanjos2020
Dos Anjos		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 3-1		 dossantos2020
Dos Santos		 dosanjos2020
Dos Anjos		 perez2020
Perez		 cifers2020
Cifers		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 3-1		 dossantos2020
Dos Santos		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 3-1		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 2-2
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 2-2		 dossantos2020
Dos Santos		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 ahill2020
A. Hill		 jhill2020
J. Hill
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 2-2		 blaydes2020
Blaydes		 chiesa2020
Chiesa		 perez2020
Perez		 cifers2020
Cifers		 stosic2020
Stosic

The has touched down in a new North Carolina city for the first time, and a former heavyweight champion is atop the card.

UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former heavyweight champ [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC) will try to get back on track when he takes on [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC). Dos Santos lost to Francis Ngannou this past July and had a three-fight winning streak snapped. Blaydes has lost just twice in his career – both to Ngannou. But he’s working on a two-fight streak since his most recent setback to him, and he’s a fairly heavy favorite in the fight at around -260. Blaydes has a big 9-5 lead in the picks from our 14 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers.

In the co-main event, former lightweight champ [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) continues his run at welterweight when he takes on [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who is 2-0 since he moved to the division from 155 pounds. Although dos Anjos is a big favorite around -270, it’s Chiesa who has a 9-5 lead from our pickers.

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We have one unanimous pick on the main card. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has the support of all 14 of our pickers in his flyweight bout against [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) has a heavy 11-3 picks lead over North Carolina local [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in their women’s strawweight bout – though Hill is just a slight favorite at the sports books, and our readers are picking Cifers.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) nearly is a unanimous pick in his promotional debut at light heavyweight against [autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC). Only one picker is taking Stosic in what would be a mild upset.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Blaydes (62 percent), dos Anjos (62 percent), Perez (85 percent), Cifers (52 percent) and Jamahal Hill (63 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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UFC on ESPN+ 24: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa odds, picks and best bets

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa fight at UFC on ESPN+ 24, with MMA betting odds, picks and best bets

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Rafael dos Anjos and Michael Chiesa fight on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 24 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. Saturday evening. To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

dos Anjos (29-12-0) faces Chiesa in a battle of southpaws, and he is at a disadvantage in terms of height and reach. Chiesa towers over dos Anjos at 6’1″ to 5’8″, with a 75.5″ to 70″ reach. However, dos Anjos outclasses Chiesa in the significant strikes per minute category at a 3.57 to 2.28 clip.

While dos Anjos will want to stay upright and land haymakers, trying to work over Chiesa in a toe-to-toe battle, Chiesa will be trying to get him on the ground.

Want some action on this fight? Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM now!

Chiesa (16-4-0) was in attendance at Tuesday’s NHL game between the Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes to sound the siren and pump up the crowd. As mentioned, he towers over dos Anjos and he has a tremendous reach advantage, although he’ll likely be wanting to get his opponent to the mat rather than exchange clouts horizontally. Chiesa has a solid 48.15 takedown accuracy percentage with a 1.23 submission average. After his loss to Anthony Pettis at UFC 226, when the tables were turned and he was submitted, he bounced back with a Round 2 submission win over Carlos Condit before a unanimous decision win last time out on July 6, 2019 against Diego Sanchez.

Per BetMGM, dos Anjos (-304) is very heavy favorite against Chiesa (+215) on the 2-way line. It’s a good idea to bet the favorite in this one, but you’re going to want to include RDA in a parlay with another fight or two. For instance, if you were to take RDA in a three-fighter parlay of favorites with Curtis Blaydes (-250) and Lucie Pudilova (-176), you can still double your money if all three fighters come through with a win.

Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on dos Anjos to win returns $3.30 in profit. A $10 bet on Chiesa, the underdog, returns a profit of $21.50 with a victory.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Also see:

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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6 burning questions heading into UFC on ESPN+ 24

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through the key questions that could be answered at UFC Raleigh.

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The UFC’s traveling roadshow heads to Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday for UFC on ESPN+ 24. And while the card isn’t of the same significance as last week’s UFC 246, it still offers plenty of reasons for fans to tune in.

Like the main event, which is a classic clash of an up-and-comer trying to make his name at the expense of a former champion. Heavyweight standout [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] already has impressive names on his resume, but none would be bigger than former UFC titleholder [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag], who, for his part, is looking to prove he still belongs in the mix.

The co-headliner also has a former champion, but there’s a twist in this one. In this case, it’s former UFC lightweight titleholder Rafael dos Anjos, who likewise wants to prove he still belongs among the elite. He’ll be taking on a veteran who has been knocking on the door for a long time in Michael Chiesa. The twist is that the bout is at welterweight, where RDA is trying to get back into the title mix and where Chiesa is showing signs he might reach greater heights than he ever did at 155 pounds.

UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The card streams on ESPN+.

Without further ado, here are six burning questions leading into the evemt. 

****

Is Curtis Blaydes ready for another run at the elite?

Curtis Blaydes at UFC 242. (Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports)

Blaydes (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC)  went on an impressive run in 2017 and 2018, winning four fights that included names like Aleksei Olienik, Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem. 

Then he met up with Francis Ngannou and, like many before him, that’s where Blaydes’ fun ended, as Ngannou finished him in just 45 seconds.

So the UFC did a smart thing in allowing Blaydes to regroup against lesser-ranked competition, and Blaydes responded with a strong pair of performances in victories over Justin Willis and Shamil Adburakhimov. 

Now he’s getting ready to fight the big dogs once again. This time, he meets Dos Santos (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who hasn’t been on the greatest run of late but also seems to perform well when counted out. Will this be the time Blaydes demonstrates once and for all that he belongs in the title mix? We’ll find out.

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