Michael Keith Chiesa (; born December 7, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and sports analyst who currently competes in the

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Chiesa was the winner of FX's inaugural '' The Ultimate Fighter: Live''. As of November 21, 2022, he is #13 in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Chiesa began his professional mixed martial arts career in 2008. He fought for several regional promotions in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Thou ...

, going undefeated in his first seven fights, before gaining an opportunity to appear on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Live'' reality show.

The Ultimate Fighter

Chiesa was one of 32 lightweight fighters announced by the UFC to participate in first live season of

The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...

reality show. Chiesa earned his way into The Ultimate Fighter house, and a $5,000 bonus, with a submission victory over Johnavan Vistante in the elimination rounds. He was chosen as the fifth pick for Team Faber. Chiesa's terminally ill father died shortly after his victory. After teammate

Al Iaquinta Al Iaquinta (born April 30, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having once challenged for the Lightweight championship belt. A professional ...

picked up the first win for Team Faber, his coach decided that Chiesa would fight Jeremy Larsen next. Chiesa would go on to defeat Larsen by unanimous decision after two rounds. For his quarter-final fight, Chiesa was matched up with the highly favored prospect, Justin Lawrence. After a hard-fought two rounds, the judges declared a draw and the fight went to a third, "sudden-victory" round. Early in the third round, Chiesa was able to reverse Lawrence on the ground, gain a mount position and win the fight by TKO, earning a $5,000 knock-out bonus and a place in the semi-finals. Chiesa was selected to fight Team Cruz fighter,

James Vick James William Vick (born February 23, 1987) is a retired American mixed martial artist and boxer who formerly competed in the welterweight and lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Vick was a cast member of '' The U ...

, in the semi-final round. Chiesa won the fight by technical knockout in the second round. He moved on to the finals against Team Faber teammate

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Chiesa officially made his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale on June 1, 2012, against fellow Team Faber teammate

. Chiesa defeated Iaquinta by technical submission due to a rear-naked choke 2:47 into the opening round thus becoming The Ultimate Fighter: Live's inaugural winner and received ''Submission of the Night'' honors for his efforts. Chiesa was expected to face Rafaello Oliveira on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. However, Oliveira was forced out of the bout with a broken hand and replaced by

Marcus LeVesseur Ausburg Auggies Marcus LeVesseur (born July 17, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, he competed for the UFC and Adrenaline MMA. As a collegiate ...

. Then, the week of the event, Chiesa was forced out of the bout with LeVesseur with the shingles and the bout was scrapped altogether. Chiesa next fought

Anton Kuivanen Anton Kuivanen (born May 1, 1984) is an Estonian- Finnish mixed martial artist and coach. Kuivanen trains and teaches at the GB Gym, which is located in Helsinki, Finland and he has also had training camps in American Top Team located in Coconut ...

on February 23, 2013, at UFC 157. Chiesa submitted Kuivanen with a rear-naked choke in the second round. Chiesa was expected to face

Reza Madadi Reza Madadi (, (born June 20, 1978) is a retired Iranian-born Swedish mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division. A professional mixed martial artist from 2006 to 2019, Madadi is best known for competing in the Ultimate Fightin ...

on July 27, 2013, at

UFC on Fox 8 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 8'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 27, 2013, at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. The event was broadcast live on FX and Fox. Background The main event was a UFC ...

. However, on May 14, 2013, it was announced Madadi was pulled from the bout due to visa issues. Chiesa instead faced

Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...

. Chiesa was stopped by Masvidal in the second round due to a d'arce choke submission, resulting in the first defeat in his professional career. Chiesa next faced Ultimate Fighter winner Colton Smith on November 6, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 31. He won the fight via submission in the second round. The win also earned Chiesa his second ''Submission of the Night'' bonus award. Chiesa faced Francisco Trinaldo at UFC 173 on May 24, 2014. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Chiesa faced Joe Lauzon on September 5, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 50. After a back and forth fight, Lauzon defeated Chiesa via TKO in the second round after opening a significant cut above Chiesa's right eye, forcing a doctor's stoppage. The performance earned both participants ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Chiesa faced Mitch Clarke on April 4, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 63. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Chiesa faced Jim Miller on December 10, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 80. He won the fight via submission in the second round. The bout also earned Chiesa his second ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Chiesa faced Beneil Dariush on April 16, 2016, at

UFC on Fox 19 ''UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 19'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 16, 2016, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Background The event was the second that the organization has hosted in the Tampa Bay A ...

. He won the bout via submission in the second round and was also awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Chiesa was expected to face

Tony Ferguson Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight C ...

on July 13, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 91. However, Chiesa pulled out of the fight on June 27 citing a back injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer

Lando Vannata Landon Anthony Vannata (born March 14, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2012, he has formerly comp ...

. Chiesa faced

Kevin Lee Kevin Jesse Lee Jr. (born September 4, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight and Super Lightweight divisions of Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC). He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Ch ...

on June 25, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 112 ''UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 112'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on June 25, 2017, at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Background The ...

. At a UFC summer kick off press conference in association with UFC 211, Kevin Lee mentioned Chiesa's mother had tickets to the show, in which Chiesa responded "don't you ever talk about my mom". This verbal altercation ultimately led to punches being thrown, and both were escorted from the stage. Chiesa lost the fight via technical submission at the end of the first round. He appealed to the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission to overturn the defeat, claiming referee

Mario Yamasaki Mario Yamasaki (born in São Paulo, Brazil on April 22, 1964) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts referee licensed in many states, most recognizable from his duties with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), as well as founder and chief instru ...

erred both in stopping the fight despite no tapout nor loss of consciousness and in allowing Lee to use illegal downward elbows, which cut his head. Albeit having one fight left on his contract, Chiesa signed a new four-fight deal with UFC at the end of August 2017. Chiesa was expected to face Anthony Pettis on April 7, 2018, at UFC 223; however, the bout was canceled after a backstage incident with

Conor McGregor Conor Anthony McGregor ( ga, Conchúr Antóin Mac Gréagóir; born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight double-champion. He is the first ...

on April 5, 2018. McGregor threw a dolly at a UFC bus that Chiesa was traveling on and broke a window. Chiesa was hit by shards of glass, which opened a cut on his forehead, and needed hospitalization subsequently resulting in the fight's cancellation. On September 10, 2018, Chiesa told the media he has sued McGregor for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also sued Barclay's Center for negligence, although he didn't disclose the amounts or further details of either of the cases. The bout with Pettis was rescheduled to

UFC 226 ''UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 7, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background The event too ...

. At weight-ins, Chiesa weighed in at 157.5 pounds, 1.5 pounds over the lightweight limit of 156 pounds. As a result, the fight proceeded at a catchweight bout and Chiesa forfeited 30% of his purse to Pettis. Chiesa lost the fight via submission in round two. Shortly after the loss, Chiesa announced going up to welterweight division. Chiesa faced

Carlos Condit Carlos Joseph Condit (born April 26, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the former Interim UFC Welterweight ...

on December 29, 2018 at UFC 232. He won the fight via submission in the second round. Chiesa faced

Diego Sanchez Diego Sanchez (born December 31, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Sanchez is most known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...

on July 6, 2019 at

UFC 239 ''UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on July 6, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Chiesa dedicated the win to the memory of Jess Roskelley. Chiesa faced

Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Lig ...

on January 25, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 166. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Chiesa faced Neil Magny on January 20, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 20 ''UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 20'' and ''UFC Fight Island 8'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 20, 2021, at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, ...

. Chiesa won the fight via unanimous decision after controlling Magny on the ground for most of the 5 rounds. Chiesa faced

Vicente Luque Vicente Luque (born November 27, 1991) is an American and Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. Luque currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 3, 2022, he is #9 in the UF ...

on August 7, 2021 at UFC 265. He lost the fight via a submission in round one. Chiesa faced Sean Brady on November 20, 2021 at

UFC Fight Night 198 ''UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN+ 56'', ''UFC Vegas 43'' and ''UFC Fight Night 198'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 20, 2021 at the UFC A ...

. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Film and television

Chiesa was featured in the award-winning mixed martial arts documentary '' Fight Life''. The film is directed by James Z. Feng and was released in 2013.

Championships and achievements

** The Ultimate Fighter: Live Tournament winner ** Fight of the Night (Two times) ** Submission of the Night (Two times) **

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(One time) *Lords of the Cage **LOTC Lightweight Championship (One time) * MMAJunkie.com **2018 December Submission of the Month vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 , Sean Brady , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

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Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Beneil Dariush , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chiesa, Michael 1987 births American sportspeople of Italian descent Living people People from Aurora, Colorado People from Spokane Valley, Washington Sportspeople from Spokane, Washington Mixed martial artists from Washington (state) American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters