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Michael Chiesa talks about his post-fight callout to Colby Covington.
Michael Chiesa’s welterweight run has so far been successful for him. The TUF 15 alum ended his Saturday night with a unanimous decision victory over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Sanjos.
During his Octagon interview with Daniel Cormier, “Maverick” was straightforward with his next career plans when issued a short but sweet callout to Colby Covington. At his post-fight scrum, Chiesa explained the reason behind his intentions to face “Chaos.”
“I just beat the number five-ranked guy in the world,” he told reporters. “And I always say the most important time to ask for a fight is after you win. You gotta capitalize.
“I said before the fight, ‘(If) I beat Rafael dos Anjos, I’m not fighting anybody that’s ranked less than five. I’m taking his spot,’” he added. “And just looking at the landscape of the division, that’s the fight that makes sense.
“I want to be tested, I want to fight the best. So Colby it is.”
Covington built a reputation of being one of the loudest talkers in the game today. Chiesa, however, says he wouldn’t fall into that trap, given his past personal experiences.
“I’m 0-2 in fights that I’ve tried to get into the trash talk stuff,” he said. “And just because I’m not gonna engage in it, it doesn’t mean he’s not going to. I know he’ll be chirping and barking at me, and that’s fine. I’m just not gonna engage, I’m not gonna buy into it. I’m just here to win fights.
“I’m not go against my personality. I’m not gonna go against who I am,” he added. “I tried that. I tried to get into the trash talk. I even tried to change my style and turn into some striker, and I went out and got beat by Anthony Pettis. I looked like a fool trash talking through that whole process.
“You’re not gonna be able to drag me into that. Even if he talks about my mom or any of this sh-t that used to piss me off before. I’ll keep my head always focused on the fight.”
Chiesa is now 3-0 since he made his welterweight debut in late 2018.