It has been almost a full year since the last time Michael Chiesa has stepped into the Octagon, but that may be coming to an end soon.
Chiesa is planning on returning from injury shortly and he has an opponent in mind, a former UFC Lightweight Champion to be exact.
“Eddie lost the title to Conor (McGregor), but it’s a fight that makes sense,” Chiesa said at a fan Q&A. “Eddie’s a tough guy, former champion in other promotions, but he’s had his time. I think it’s mine. He says he wants to sit around and see what happens (at UFC 209) on March 4, but why don’t you fight somebody? Don’t just sit around and wait for it. If he’s man enough to step up to the challenge, there’s a big bearded guy in the Northwest waiting to get into a 15-minute fist fight with him. Let’s see if he takes the bait.”
The TUF champion is on a three fight winning streak, with those wins coming over Mitch Clarke, Jim Miller and Beneil Dariush. Whether he gets his desired fight with Alvarez or not, Chiesa also wants to get his hands on the winner of the UFC Interim Lightweight Title bout.
“I actually almost got the Khabib fight when Tony wasn’t coming to terms with his contract,” Chiesa said. “There was a window where it was looking like that’s what was going to happen. I think I can give Khabib a lot of problems. … Same thing with Tony. Tony’s the fight where you’re going to walk out of there lumped up. That’s fine. That’s the fight game. But I definitely, definitely know deep within my guts I could beat him. I asked for the fight knowing I could beat him and I have the tools to beat him. I think I could beat anyone in the division, honestly. Whoever wins it, I’m game.”
Chiesa was the winner of the UFC Ultimate Fighter 15, he defeated Al Iaquinta in the finals.
