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An important bout in the UFC’s stacked welterweight division goes down on Wednesday night as No. 8 ranked Michael Chiesa will take on No. 9 ranked Neil Magny.
Both Chiesa (17-4) and Magny (24-7) are riding three-fight win streaks and the winner of the five-round main event at UFC Fight Island 8 on January 20 will take another step toward a title match by setting themselves up for another major fight.
In a recent interview with Heavy, Chiesa confirmed that he’s as ready as ever to take on the division staple, Magny. “Maverick,” who also works as a fight analyst for ESPN, dealt with training during the pandemic as well as he could and his confidence against Magny is high.
“I had a really, really good training camp, even during the climate of the pandemic,” Chiesa said. “I was able to really make ends meet and put together a good camp. If the world was normal, I would have spent a lot more time training with bigger body types and things necessary to emulate what Neil brings to the table. He’s a guy that’s taller than me. He’s got a longer reach. So I wasn’t able to do that as much as I would like, but we made it work. None of us got COVID and I got in good shape, [so] I’m ready to go.”
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Chiesa Hasn’t Been This Confident Going Into an MMA Fight for a Long Time, ‘Almost Feels Criminal’
GettyMichael Chiesa reacts to defeating Carlos Condit during a Welterweight bout at UFC 232.
Chiesa has made a statement in the welterweight division, winning all three of his bouts since moving up from lightweight in December 2018, defeating former UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit, The Ultimate Fighter season one middleweight winner Diego Sanchez and former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
Riding the three-fight win streak and with a solid training camp behind him, Maverick’s confidence is surging.
“I’m very confident I’m going to win, without a shadow of doubt in my mind,” Chiesa said. “This is the most confident I’ve been going into a fight in a long time. It almost feels criminal to be this confident. I give him the credit that he deserves but I still have the confidence that I have right now, and that’s the key.
“I think whether we go blood guts and fight for five rounds or I finish him, I just see myself getting my hand raised. I have a clear path to victory. I know what the clear path to victory is, I just have to follow it and it’ll lead me to getting my hand raised.”
Naturally, Chiesa did not share the “clear path to victory.”
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Chiesa Hasn’t Competed in the Octagon for Nearly a Year, Not Worried About Ring Rust
The last time Chiesa was under the bright lights inside the UFC’s Octagon was on January 25, 2020, when he defeated dos Anjos by unanimous decision. The victory was arguably Chiesa’s biggest in his career, taking out a former champion, and although he hasn’t fought in nearly a year, he’s ready to carry that momentum into the cage on Wednesday.
“I don’t think about ring rust,” Chiesa said. “I’ve had long gaps between fights before. I’ve been in this sport for a long time. I’ve been doing it for 13 years and I’ve been in the UFC for almost nine, andnd I know how to fight, so I really rely on that experience.”
“I think ring rust exists, but it depends on the fighter,” Chiesa continued. “And I’m just not one of those guys. I’m as game as they come and when it’s time to fight, I’ll be ready to fight.”
Maverick had plans to fight three times in 2020, but like all, his plans were derailed due to COVID-19. Chiesa also got surgery on a lingering knee and hip injury, and the recovery took a lot longer than Chiesa anticipated.
However, he’s back to good health and is ready to make a statement on Wednesday in the main event of UFC Fight Island 8.
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UFC Headliner Makes Bold Statement: ‘It Almost Feels Criminal’