Danny Segura: Michael Chiesa is quickly becoming a threat at welterweight
There were plenty of winners this weekend with two solid events in Bellator 238 and UFC Raleigh. And among the top victors, I have to include UFC welterweight [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag].
The Season 15 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” picked up the highest profile victory of his career – a unanimous decision win over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. But just the win alone doesn’t make Chiesa the biggest victor this weekend, as other fighters found success against notable names.
Chiesa’s win was far more than just a big name added to his win record. The triumph over the Brazilian is the validation of a major career decision and the proof that there could very well be title implications in the latest chapter of his career.
Since leaving the lightweight division to pursue his championship dreams at 170 pounds, Chiesa has progressively looked better. The win over dos Anjos was a continuation of that, as he found success against increasingly tougher opposition.
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For some time now, Chiesa has proved to be a skilled fighter but has failed to level up when faced with the top dogs, coming up short against fighters such as Jorge Masvidal, Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis. The win over dos Anjos signals he can defeat elite opposition and that he can be much more than a top-10, top-15 fighter.
On top of a visible growth in skill and ability to defeat top-notch combatants, Chiesa’s move up to welterweight seems to be much more than a way to forget the hiccups experienced in another division – something many fighters take advantage of when bouncing around weight classes.
It’s clear Chiesa intends to make welterweight his home. He wasn’t a lightweight not cutting weight and trying his luck elsewhere. Chiesa looked massive and physically prepared to deal with the stronger challengers that could come his way now at 170 pounds.
And lastly, if the past teaches us anything about the future, only the very best are able to get their hand raised against dos Anjos. The few that have been able to get past dos Anjos in the last eight years include Leon Edwards, Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Tony Ferguson, Eddie Alvarez, and Khabib Numagomedov (five former or current UFC champions and a current top contender).
Only time will tell whether or not Chiesa will challenge for gold. But what’s certain is that “Maverick” is on the right path and should be kept an eye on as a potential threat to the title.
Next page – Simon Samano: Back on the Aaron Pico hype train