Michael Chiesa is coming off the biggest win of his career, when he takes on Neil Magny. Ahead of the fight, he explains how this fight will go, and what fans get wrong about him.
After three weeks of no UFC, fans are being treated with three events in the span of a week. Smack dab in the middle of these, is a Fight Night card headlined by a key welterweight scrap between Chiesa vs Magny.
Mike is coming off a year-long layoff, following his massive win over Rafael dos Anjos, and is looking to keep that momentum going. On the other hand, Magny scored three straight wins in 2020, and looks better than ever.
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Michael Chiesa Is Expecting A War
With both men looking so impressive in their last outings, fans are unsure what to make of this main event matchup. Michael Chiesa seems to be getting ready for a dog fight, as he explained in a recent interview.
While he is hoping to get a finish against Neil Magny, Michael knows how tough of an opponent he has on his hands. So he is going into this fight expecting to be put through the wringer if he wants to win.
“I think we’re both very gritty fighters, we’re both very tough. Skill-wise there’s a lot of similarities, but I feel like from a mental standpoint, I got to broaden one of the most important tools in mixed martial arts, which is my mind,” Chiesa said.
“I’m all heart. Everybody knows that Neil is a cardio fighter, and the longer this fight goes, the more it’s going to benefit him, but he hasn’t fought a guy that has the heart that I do.”
Chiesa goes on to explain that he is in the best shape that he has ever been in, heading into this fight. He knows how durable Magny is, and is ready to fight him for 25 minutes, if needed.
“Going into the late rounds, I’m going to be conditioned and I’ll have the heart to go the distance if need-be. Those are the intangibles. I’m all heart. You’re going to have to put me out to beat me in this fight.”
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Mike’s Not A Jerk
Over the years, there have been some odd moments coming from Michael Chiesa. At one point, he was trying to talk trash and fight people at press conferences for talking about his mom.
Reflecting on this after all this time, Mike says that this is the biggest misconception that fans have about him. He says that he has matured past trying to be a bad guy, but sometimes people still think he is a jerk.
“This is my fault, but I think that a lot of my antics around the Kevin Lee fight and the (Anthony) Pettis fight, I think still stick out in people’s minds,” Chiesa said.
“I was definitely beside myself through those two fights. I got some personal things in my life, I was not in a good place. I was very mean, I was trying to turn myself into this guy that talks trash.
“That’s not who I am, and I think that still sticks out to people. But I’m not that guy anymore. I’ve grown a lot since then, I’ve matured a lot.
“Basically what I’m saying, is I’m not an a—hole. That’s the easiest way to say it, I came off like such an a—hole back then…I’m not that guy anymore. I’m not an a—hole.
“I’m a humble guy, and I love mixed martial arts, and I love the fans, and I actually like the media too.”
Jerk or not, it will be interesting to see how Michael Chiesa fares against Neil Magny, on January 20th. Both men have matured in their careers, and it will be fun to see who has the better skillset.
