Michael Chiesa went viral for an altercation with Kevin Lee outside of the octagon.
UFC veteran Michael Chiesa took on Kevin Lee at UFC Fight Night 112: Chiesa vs. Lee in Jun 2017. Lee would go on to secure a win by finishing Chiesa in the first round via a rear-naked choke submission. During the build-up to the fight, the headliners would get into a scuffle at a pre-fight press conference when Lee talked about Chiesa’s mother.
Michael Chiesa recounts viral Kevin Lee moment
In an appearance on Morning Kombat, Michael Chiesa talked about the infamous “don’t talk about my mom” moment with Kevin Lee. Five years separated from the exchange, Chiesa has a new take on what happened.
“In hindsight, good old Kev, good on him for knowing how to get under my skin, like that’s the one nerve you can strike. I’m a pretty cool-headed guy, and granted lightning would not strike twice. It wouldn’t matter.
“Somebody could go full “Chaos” Covington mode and start saying some volatile sh*t and I’d keep my composure but that was the first time I’d ever dealt with that.
“Like, wow! Someone said something that actually got under my skin so I got to give Kev, he might say some stupid a** sh*t, and I still think he’s an idiot but I gotta give him his kudos, he got me good with that one.”
“I always wanted to be a douchebag. I was like, ‘I’m ready to go on the mic and start talking sh*t to guys. That’s how I’m going to get to big fights. That was my first time trying to do it, I attempted, and I got 10-8ed. He talked about my mom and I literally ran at him, and got punched. That’s the worst part dude.”
Chiesa believes Colby Covington needs to fight guys like Khamzat Chimaev to stay on top
“Maverick” believes that top contender Colby Covington needs to take on the new blood entering the welterweight division to retain his position as the top dog.
“That’s a harsh reality he’s going to have to face because the shtick doesn’t really sell. You’re not going to be able to use that and get yourself in any bigger fights. You’re going to have to now fight somebody that hasn’t been a pay-per-view main event, that hasn’t fought for the title.
“The only other one I could say would be like Gilbert Burns. Why don’t you fight Gilbert Burns?”
“If you want to keep competing, you’re going to have to fight someone like me, Belal, Chimaev, you’re going to have to fight somebody that’s not as marquee as these other guys. It’s just a harsh reality.”
Chiesa last fought Sean Brady in November 2021, a contest he’d lose by unanimous decision. He’s also been serving on the commentary team for the promotion.
