“This is a guy that’s still in his groove, but I’ve got to go out there and derail him.”
RALEIGH, N.C. —[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] has been in the cage with some of the sport’s best, but he sees this Saturday as his biggest test yet.
Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) takes on former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN+ 24 as he looks to continue his rise following his move from lightweight to welterweight.
“Yeah, this is the toughest one,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie ahead of the fight. “Out of anybody I fought in the UFC, this is the stiffest test I’ve fought to date. The proof is in the pudding. I mean, the guy is a former world champion, (he) fought for a belt at 170, and he’s still very relevant.”
Dos Anjos also recently made the move up to 170 pounds but, after a strong start, he’s had a rough stretch in his last four outings. But Chiesa still thinks dos Anjos is in his prime, and will present a tough test for anyone.
“He beat Kevin Lee, and Kevin Lee is seven years younger than him, so for him to be at the age he’s at and still beating these young guys – I feel like the toughest guys to compete against are the guys that are at the veteran status that have seen it all and that are in their mid 30’s,” Chiesa said. “This is a guy that’s still in his groove, but I’ve got to go out there and derail him. I’m really excited for the opportunity to compete against him but I’ve got to get my hand raised on Saturday night.”
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Since moving up to welterweight, Chiesa has scored back-to-back wins over Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez, adding two notable veteran names to his resumé.
“This is the fifth guy that I fought in a row that’s been in a title fight or has been a champion,” Chiesa said. “So these are the fights I want and that’s how you become a champion. I’ve got to beat these guys.”
A win over dos Anjos would be a big step forward in Chiesa’s career as a welterweight, but he knows it won’t be easy. But, despite facing a well-rounded, world-class opponent, “Maverick” believes he’s identified opportunities to exploit the Brazilian’s relentless fighting style on Saturday night.
“For as well-rounded and complete of a fighter he is, everybody’s got holes in their game,” he said. “Nobody’s perfect. Everybody’s got holes that can be exploited by another man. There are things we’re going to look to capitalize on but I’m expecting a three-round fight.”
The best stats and figures about UFC on ESPN+ 24, which features a Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos main event.
The UFC makes its sixth trip to North Carolina on Saturday with UFC on ESPN+ 24. Its the promotion’s debut in Raleigh, and is set to stream on ESPN+ from PNC Arena.
In the main event, heavyweight contenders clash. [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will attempt to extended his two-fight winning streak against former UFC champion [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who looks to rebound from a loss in his most recent outing.
The matchup tops the 12-fight card, which also features one more former UFC titleholder as well as former title challenger.
* * * *
Main event
Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes absorbs 1.9 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Blaydes’ 45 takedowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Blaydes completes 60 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Cheick Kongo (63.2 percent).
Blaydes’ takedown rate of 7.05 per 15 minutes of fighting is highest in UFC history.
Blaydes’ 10 takedowns landed against Mark Hunt at UFC 221 tied the record for second most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Cain Velasquez’s 11 takedowns landed at UFC 155.
Blaydes’ three knockout victories stemming from elbow strikes in UFC competition are tied with Paul Felder for most in company history.
Junior Dos Santos
Dos Santos competes in his 13th UFC headliner. He’s 8-4 in his previous main event bouts.
Dos Santos’ total fight time of 3:44:34 in UFC heavyweight competition is second most in company history behind Andrei Arlovski (4:33:42).
Dos Santos’ 15 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Arlovski (17) and Frank Mir (16).
Dos Santos’ 10 knockout victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied with Velasquez and Derrick Lewis for most in divisional history.
Dos Santos’ 14 knockdowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are the most in divisional history.
Dos Santos has landed 1,068 significant strikes in UFC heavyweight competition, the most in divisional history.
Dos Santos and Ben Rothwell combined for 234 significant strikes landed at UFC Fight Night 86, the third most in a single UFC heavyweight fight behind Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (304) at UFC 241 and Fabricio Werdum vs. Marcin Tybura (282) at UFC Fight Night 121.
Dos Santos’ 157 significant strikes landed against Rothwell are second most in a UFC heavyweight fight behind Miocic (181) at UFC 241.
Dos Santos’ 92 significant body strikes landed against Rothwell are the UFC heavyweight record for a single fight.
Dos Santos defends 80.5 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the fourth-best rate in divisional history behind Alexander Volkov (82.8 percent), Marcin Tybura (81.5 percent) and Arlovski (80.6 percent).
Co-main event
Rafael dos Anjos
[autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) is the only Brazilian lightweight champion in UFC history.
Dos Anjos is 4-3 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in June 2017.
Dos Anjos’ average fight time of 19:39 in UFC welterweight competition is the longest in divisional history.
Dos Anjos’ 18 UFC wins are tied for seventh most in company history. Donald Cerrone holds the all-time record with 23.
Dos Anjos lands 54.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (56.8 percent).
Dos Anjos became just the second fighter in history to challenge for a UFC title and win a 50-45 decision on all three judges’ scorecards when he beat Anthony Pettis at UFC 185. Randy Couture also accomplished the feat against Tim Sylvia at UFC 68.
Dos Anjos’ 66-second victory over Cerrone at UFC on FOX 17 is the fastest stoppage in UFC lightweight title fight history.
Michael Chiesa
[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is 2-0 since he moved up to the welterweight division in December 2018.
Chiesa’s five submission victories via rear-naked choke in UFC competition are tied for third most in company history behind Demian Maia (nine) and Kenny Florian (seven).
Chiesa has completed at least one takedown against 12 of his 13 UFC opponents.
Remaining main card
Alex Perez
[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 123.
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (10-7 MMA, 5-7 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC strawweight bout, tied with Randa Markos for the most appearances in divisional history.
Hill is 4-5 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s two knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Rose Namajunas (three).
Hill has landed 100 or more significant strikes in five separate UFC strawweight fights, the second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (seven).
[autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is 1-2 since he dropped to the light heavyweight division in July 2018. He went 12-1 at heavyweight.
Preliminary card
Bevon Lewis
[autotag]Bevon Lewis[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a six-fight winning streak.
[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]’s (15-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is tied with Zabit Magomedsharipov and Alexander Volkanovski for the longest active streak in the division.
Allen is one of four featherweights in UFC history to open his career with six straight wins. Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor and Yair Rodriguez also accomplished the feat.
Allen absorbs 1.78 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Rani Yahya (1.05) and Mirsad Bektic (1.7).
Nik Lentz
[autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag] (30-10-2 MMA, 14-7-1 UFC) returns to the featherweight division for the first time since May 2015. He went 4-2 during his first stint in the weight class.
Lentz’s 68 takedowns landed in UFC competition are tied for fourth most in company history behind Georges St-Pierre (90), Gleison Tibau (84) and Demetrious Johnson (74).
Lentz’s 20 guillotine choke attempts in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Lentz and Charles Oliveira are one of three pairs of fighters in UFC history to have a trilogy in which all three fights were not for a title. Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz and Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher also accomplished the feat.
[autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Jan. 27, 2018. It’s the third time in her career she’s had a layoff of at least 23 months.
Kish has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career on a six-fight winning streak.
[autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC), 25, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
Pudilova’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.
Pudilova is 0-2 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in February.
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) submission victory at 1:40 of Round 1 at UFC 232 is the second fastest D’Arce choke finish in UFC history. Only Chas Skelly’s 19-second win at UFC Fight Night 94 was faster.
Sara McMann
[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] (11-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC), 39, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.
McMann returns to competition for the first time since Feb. 24, 2018. The 700-day layoff is the longest of her nearly nine-year career.
McMann competes in her 11th UFC women’s bantamweight bout, the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (12) and Raquel Pennington (12).
McMann’s two submission victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history behind Ronda Rousey (three).
McMann’s 2017 victory over Gina Mazany at 1:14 of Round 1 marked the second fastest submission in UFC women’s bantamweight history behind Ronda Rousey’s 14-second finish of Cat Zingano at UFC 184.
[autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) enters the event on the first winning streak of her UFC career.
Lansberg lands 57.7 of her significant strikes in UFC women’s bantamweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Lansberg has earned all four of her UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career on a 15-fight winning streak.
Johns has earned one of two calf-slicer submissions in UFC history. Charles Oliveira also accomplished the feat.
Johns’ 30-second submission of Joe Soto at the TUF 26 Finale was second fastest in UFC/WEC combined bantamweight history behind Patrick Williams’ 23-second finish at UFC 188.
Johns’ 11 takedowns landed at UFC Fight Night 99 are tied for the single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event in Raleigh, N.C.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event in Raleigh, N.C.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN+ 24 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The card streams on ESPN+.
Make your picks for all six main card fights inside.
Recap the action as Anthony “Showtime” Pettis reminded the world of his superb submission skills as he finished Michael Chiesa at UFC 226.
The UFC International Fight Week clash between former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] in 2018 was one of the most intriguing matchups of the stacked UFC 226 card. And, after a little weigh-in drama in the buildup to the fight when Chiesa missed weight, Pettis showcased his at-times underrated submission skills to finish the noted submission specialist at T-Mobile Arena.
Chiesa’s preferred path to victory was no secret heading into the matchup, and “Maverick” went to work straight away as he scored an early takedown on the former champion. But Pettis quickly bounced back up and went to work with his striking as he found his range with his punches and low leg kicks.
The second round saw Chiesa again try to close the distance on “Showtime”, but Pettis hurt his man with a thumping body kick, then dropped him with a stinging right hand.
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The former lightweight champ then went for a guillotine choke, but when Chiesa escaped and ended up on top, things didn’t look good for Pettis. But, despite seemingly being in the worst possible spot against a big, strong submission specialist, the Milwaukee man pulled a rabbit from his hat as he locked up a triangle armbar that left Chiesa with no option but to tap, then go to his rival and tell him: “Good job,” as he acknowledged Pettis’ submission skills.
Recap “Showtime’s” submission finish of Chiesa in the video above.
Pettis returns to action on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas when he takes on Brazilian Diego Ferreira in the main card opener at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena.
Check out the poster for the upcoming UFC on ESPN+ 24 show.
The UFC on ESPN+ 24 has been revealed.
To no one’s surprise, the two men involved in the main event are featured prominently. The poster features a stare-down between heavyweight contenders [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 15-5 UFC).
Also featured on the poster are the co-main event participants, lightweights [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) and [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC).
UFC on ESPN+ 24 takes place Jan. 25 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The entire card will stream on ESPN+.
With the change, the current UFC on ESPN+ 24 lineup includes:
Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos
Michael Chiesa vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Frankie Edgar vs. Cory Sandhagen
Tony Gravely vs. Brett Johns
Hannah Cifers vs. Brianna Van Buren
Jordan Espinosa vs. Alex Perez
Lina Lansberg vs. Sara McMann
Justine Kish vs. Lucie Pudilova
Arnold Allen vs. Josh Emmett
Bevon Lewis vs. Dequan Townsend
Jamahal Hill vs. Darko Stosic
Felipe Colares vs. Montel Jackson
Herbert Burns vs. Nate Landwehr
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Michael Chiesa talks about how Dustin Poirier’s recent success inspired him to move up a weight division.
Since moving up to welterweight, [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] has gone 2-0 and has never felt better.
And Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) says the motivation to make the move up was largely in part to the success former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has had since moving up from featherweight, where he has gone 9-2.
“For me, the biggest one was Dustin Poirier,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “When he was at ’45, I remember seeing him at the airport one time and was like, ‘Dude, this guy is, like, wide – he is barrel-chested. That’s a big ’55-pounder, and he’s cutting to ’45.’ So I would see him and be like, ‘I’m not alone. At least I’m not the only guy cutting a lot of weight.’ And I saw him go up in weight class and saw the success he was having.
“I mean, look at his win streak he had, going into that Khabib (Nurmagomedov) fight. I was like, ‘Maybe that’s what I need to do. Maybe I need to make a change in my weight class.’ Look at the success Dustin Poirier is having, look at what he’s doing. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t give myself the opportunity to do the same thing.”
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But it’s not like “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 winner didn’t have success at lightweight. Chiesa was able to take out some notable names, such as Al Iaquinta, Beneil Dariush and Jim Miller. But eventually, the cut for Chiesa, who walks around at nearly 200 pounds, started to take a toll on his body.
After suffering back-to-back losses to Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis, Chiesa decided to make the move to 170 pounds, and said contrary to what many people may think, his grapple-heavy approach works better when he’s not cutting so much weight.
“With my style of fighting, I just don’t think weight cutting really makes a lot of sense,” Chiesa said. “I know a lot of people will say, ‘You’re a grappler and cutting the most amount of weight makes the most sense so you can be the biggest guy, and it’s like, no. I really disagree with that. I think if you’re going to be a grappler, you need to lift a lot of weights, you need to get really physically strong and fast, and you need to work on your strength and conditioning as a whole, and you can’t do that if you’re going to cut a bunch of weight.
“For my style, I need to not cut a ton of weight. I need to hit the weights more. It’s like the polar opposite. So seeing Dustin Poirier’s success was really kind of what influenced me to make that jump.”
Chiesa is heading into arguably one of the biggest fights of his career on Jan. 25, a matchup with former UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Raleigh, N.C.
Ever since he started competing at welterweight, he has found new life, and is rejuvenated to continue his goal of one day wrapping a UFC title around his waist.
“Ever since I’ve done that, I feel like I started my career over again,” Chiesa said. “I’m training all the time. I never want a break. When I fought at ’55, I’d get done with a fight and it’s like I don’t even want to touch the gym for a month. I’m burned out. The camps at welterweight are tougher, but my body can handle it because I can eat and I can nurture myself.”
Michael Chiesa wants to see Jorge Masvidal box Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
After Conor McGregor infamously crossed over to boxing to face Floyd Mayweather in a heavily hyped superfight, plenty of MMA fighters have wanted to follow suit.
But if one fighter has the momentum to do so right now, it’s probably [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], who has had an incredible 2019, becoming one of the sport’s biggest stars. Masvidal has expressed interest in boxing [autotag]Saul Alvarez[/autotag], the man best known as “Canelo.” Fellow UFC welterweight [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag], for one, is all for it and believes the possibilities for Masvidal are endless.
“Now, the things you can do with Jorge Masvidal, screw it, set up him in a boxing match,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “Jorge is in a great position that he can be whatever he wants to be. If he wants to jump into the title fight after (UFC) 245 he can do that. If he wanted to get a boxing match with Canelo Alvarez, you could probably make it happen.
“People love these crossover fights, I don’t disagree with them at all. He’s in a good position, and Nate (Diaz) is, as well, and both guys deserve it.”
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Masvidal defeated Diaz at UFC 244 earlier this month, capturing the “BMF” belt and capping off an incredible year. While the introduction of the “BMF” title initially received plenty of criticism, Chiesa liked the concept, and the fact that it resulted in a big event and a big payday for both guys.
“These guys deserve it; these guys deserve a big payday,” Chiesa said. “It’s a polarizing matchup, East vs. West. It’s everything you want as a fan and more, so to make that fight, yeah, you make a frickin’ belt for it. Who cares? Boxing makes weight class and (expletive) all the time.
“There’s a hundred different million weight classes in boxing. Like, who cares if we make up a title for one of the biggest events we’ve had in the last five years. Like, they deserve all that and then some.”
Michael Chiesa explains why he doesn’t see Rafael dos Anjos as a dangerous fight ahead of UFC Raleigh.
[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] has a big task ahead of him.
“The Ultimate Fighter” 19 winner has been booked to fight former UFC lightweight champion and now top welterweight contender [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag] on Jan. 25 at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Raleigh, N.C. The bout arguably is the biggest fight in Chiesa’s career.
“This is the best-case scenario I can possibly be in,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “I’m really excited for this matchup. I’ve been ahead of the eight ball in my training, so I’m excited to dive into training on Monday, get this camp going, and get ready for Raleigh.
“And it’s a loaded card – I feel like this is a fun card to be on, like you always want to be on a pay-per-view, those cards get a lot of attention, but these ‘Fight Night’ cards that they try to stacked for obvious reasons, these are the cards I want to be a part of. I’m excited to get done with my fight, go to the back and watch (Cory) Sandhagen vs. Frankie Edgar. That’s a fight that’s going to be amazing. There are a lot of fun fights on the card. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
UFC on ESPN+ 25 hasn’t been finalized, but it’s looking to be one of the strongest “Fight Night” cards in recent memory. Headlined by Curtis Blaydes vs. Junior Dos Santos, the Raleigh event also includes Josh Emmett vs. Arnold Allen, Sara McMann vs. Lina Lansberg, and several other notable names.
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Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has yet to get confirmation on the card placement of his bout, but said frankly he doesn’t care – he’s fighting dos Anjos (29-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC), at the end of the day.
“This is one of those things, like I beat ‘RDA,’ and there is no backwards steps from there, it’s a guy ranked higher and that’s it,” Chiesa said. “There are no backwards steps. Once you get in the rankings, you just have to keep stepping forward until you lose to the guy ahead of you, and then you can start considering guys below you. This is a great opportunity to make a big leap in my career, a big leap in my skills, so this is what it’s all about for me. I can’t emphasize it enough.
“I’m finally in this position that I wanted to be in for so long. I get to fight ‘RDA.’ He’s truly top five, so there are these big ramifications, and this is the situation I’ve always wanted to be in. This is what it’s all about, and it couldn’t have happened to me at a better time. (I’m) 31 years old, about to be 32 – I’m in my prime. Everything is clicking, my camp is good, my home life is good, my social life is great – everything is perfect right now, so there is no better time for a fight like this than right now.”
Brazil’s dos Anjos has been a tough test to pass for years. He’s been fighting at an elite level for a long time now, and more often than not, his opponents come up short.
Chiesa is aware of the dangers dos Anjos presents, but he doesn’t see it as his most dangerous fight.
“The most dangerous guy, yes, but not the most dangerous fight,” Chiesa explained. “A dangerous fight is like you lost your last two fights and now you’re fighting Carlos Condit. That, to me, is a dangerous fight because it’s like the do-or-die, the pressure, winning and keeping your job – or losing and maybe get cut. That’s a dangerous fight.
“Is this one of the most dangerous guys? Yes, 100 percent. But like I said, the pressure is off, and when it’s off, that’s when I fight my complete best. This is two wins in a row, fighting a top guy. Not a lot of people are probably counting on me to win. So, like, dude: Let’s just have fun, let’s train as hard as we possibly can, implement a game plan, go out there and fight this guy bell to bell. I believe I’m going to beat him.”
