Trots snart ett år sedan Michael Chiesa steg in i oktagonen vill han ta sig an den tidigare lättviktsmästaren, Eddie Alvarez. Chiesa har varit frånvarande från sporten på grund av en ryggskada han ådragit sig. Chiesa var innan skadan planerad att möta Tony Ferguson. Ferguson som nu skall ta sig an Khabib Nurmagomedov för interimbältet i lättvikt. Chiesa hade följande att säga genom ESPNs podcast, ”5ive Rounds Podcast”.
It’s all about a fight that makes sense. You look at the landscape and a lot of the ranked guys are booked right now. Or they’re coming off a loss.
I’ve always been good friends with Nate [Diaz] and Michael Johnson. I think the Eddie Alvarez fight is a good fight that makes sense — a couple Italian guys throwing down. I’ve got nothing but respect for the guy. He’s a former champion. I’m in this sport to test myself. I want to see how far I can take this thing. This guy has been a champion of my weight class for a long time.
Vidare hade Chiesa ett par väl valda ord till nuvarande mästaren i lättvikt, Conor McGregor.
Sooner or later, Conor is going to have to come out and fight. Whether he’s taking this hiatus himself or the company is putting him on ice, who knows? But I don’t see him staying champion.
I know he’s good. I’m not knocking him. We have to recognize the guy can f—ing fight. But you have to look at the guys coming up in the lightweight division. Tony Ferguson and Khabib, you have to fight the winner of that fight. I mean, dude, you’re good, but you’re going up against a guy who is 24-0, multiple samba world champion, or a guy that would be on a 10-fight win streak.
Conor is good, but I really don’t think he’s a true lightweight. That’s what I’m saying. With the landscape of this division, I don’t see Conor ending his year as champion. And you put me in there, I’m going to drag him to the ground and beat him too. I’m a huge lightweight. I’m as big as Nate or bigger, and we saw how many problems Nate gave him.
Chiesa står har ett fighterfacit på 14–2 där han vunnit sina tre senaste matcher varav två av dessa varit avslut via Rear-Naked Choke.
