Michael Chiesa and Sean Brady faced off in a Welterweight clash tonight (Sat., Nov. 20, 2021) at UFC Vegas 43 from UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following a back-and-forth fight, Brady’s grappling prowess earned him the victory.
Brady worked the outside early, landing some solid low kicks while circling actively. The two traded crosses. Two eye pokes slowed the early action. Brady caught a low kick and converted it into an unexpected takedown. As he tried to take the back, Chiesa was able to regain his feet. He fought his opponent off for a moment, but Brady put him back down and went to work trying to take the back again. Chiesa escaped with a minute remaining, and he landed a crisp left. The round ended without much more action, with Brady clearly taking the opening frame.
Chiesa landed a sharp jab early in the second, and he landed a combination not long afterward. Brady controlled the center and landed a short hook, but in general, he was having difficulty with Chiesa’s lanky range. Chiesa really dialed in the range on his cross, which was fast and straight down the middle. Brady returned to the wrestling with a clinch takedown, and he eventually got it after some strong resistance from “The Maverick.” On the mat, Brady took the back and put both hooks in. Brady didn’t come close to the choke, but he was able to control his opponent to the end of the round.
Down 2-0, Chiesa needed something major in the third. Credit to him, he opened the third with a jump knee that partially landed. Brady landed a big hook, but Chiesa flurried forward and landed some real hard shots in combination. Brady shot in, the two started scrambling, and Brady eventually gained the back once more. With 40 seconds remaining, Chiesa returned to his feet and exploded, landing some decent shots and a takedown. Unfortunately, he ran out of time while landing big shots from the mount position.
This was a hell of a fight, featuring some excellent grappling exchanges and a gutsy performance from Chiesa. However, Brady’s early success earned him the victory, and Welterweight has a new top contender.
Result: Sean Brady defeats Michael Chiesa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
For complete UFC Vegas 43: “Tate vs. Vieira” results and play-by-play, click HERE!