A top-ranked fighter took a loss during UFC 269, and he didn’t even fight.
The event went down on December 11, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and No. 9-ranked welterweight Michael Chiesa was at the T-Mobile Arena to support his teammate Julianna Pena. Pena fought Amanda Nunes for the UFC bantamweight title during the co-main event and she earned a stunning upset, submitting the women’s GOAT in the second round.
After the fight was over, Chiesa tried to hop into the Octagon to congratulate and celebrate with “The Venezuelan Vixen,” however he “fell down” and injured himself, according to UFC president Dana White.
Speaking with the media during the post-fight press conference, the UFC president outlined the situation that left “Maverick” getting “dragged out” by police into the arena’s back area.
“How do I say this without embarrassing the guy,” White said via MMA Fighting. “He had a little bit too much to drink this evening. When she won, he freaked out and tried to jump into the Octagon and fell down on his face, cut his eye and busted his eye open, then was arguing with the police that he needed to get into the Octagon and be with her, because that’s his teammate.
“[The police] dragged him out, got him outside and calmed him down in the back, and I went back and talked to him for a minute, and we’re all good.”
Here’s a video shared by ESPN that captured Chiesa hopping a fence and running toward the Octagon after Pena secured the win:
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Chiesa Is Currently on a 2-Fight Losing Streak
Maverick took a loss outside the Octagon on Saturday night, and inside, he’s currently on a two-fight losing streak.
He started off the year with a big win over Neil Magny, which extended his streak to four in a row. Chiesa was then matched up with Vicente Luque, and with another victory, he would have been knocking on the door of a title shot. However, things didn’t go Chiesa’s way, losing to “The Silent Assassin” via first-round D’arce choke in August 2021.
He returned last month with the hopes of getting back on track by taking out rising contender Sean Brady. Although Chiesa found success on the feet several times during the match, he was unable to neutralize Brady’s strong wrestling game and was defeated via unanimous decision.
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Pena Earned the Upset Victory Over Nunes
Pena entered the fight with “The Lioness” as a massive underdog, with some betting outlets having her at +650. Not to be fazed by the seemingly insurmountable task ahead of her, Pena brought the fight to Nunes, hurting the champion several times on the feet in the second round.
After being stunned repeatedly, the fight transitioned to the ground and “The Venezuelan Vixen” sunk in a rear-naked choke to end the contest. It was Nunes’ first defeat since 2014.
Although she’s no longer the bantamweight queen, The Lioness still holds onto the women’s featherweight belt.
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