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Michael Chiesa Has a Surprise Gameplan Ready for Max Griffin ‘More than just a grappler’

Michael ChiesaMichael Chiesa will be facing Max Griffin at UFC 310 in a vital welterweight matchup. ‘Maverick’ Chiesa is primarily…

Michael Chiesa

Michael Chiesa will be facing Max Griffin at UFC 310 in a vital welterweight matchup. ‘Maverick’ Chiesa is primarily a grappler but is ready to meet ‘Pain’ Griffin on the feet on December 7.

Michael Chiesa Gameplan for Max Griffin

The US-born Michael Chiesa is primarily a grappler who began wrestling when he was only 11 years old. In his professional MMA career, he has won an impressive sixty-five percent of his matches by way of submission. At UFC 310, he will face Max Griffin who is a powerful striker who aims for the knockout. But, Chiesa says that there may be a surprise in store for Griffin when they meet.

Speaking in an interview with James Lynch, Michael Chiesa explained:

“I still feel like I haven’t shown my full game. I have so many guys I train with who are like, “When the hell are you just gonna stand up with these guys?” Everyone sees what I do in the gym, and they ask when I’m going to show the world that I’ve got knockout power in my hands and good striking. But I think, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If Max brings out the other side of me, though, I’m ready to show the world how well-rounded I am—more than just a grappler.”

In his most recent bout on August 3, 2024, Chiesa secured a first-round submission victory over Tony Ferguson. Prior to that, he faced a setback in July 2023, losing to Kevin Holland via submission in the first round. Griffin’s recent performances have been mixed, with his last fight on February 10, 2024, resulting in a split decision victory over Jeremiah Wells. Before that, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Michael Morales in July 2023.

Their upcoming matchup at UFC 310 promises to be an intriguing clash of styles, pitting Chiesa’s grappling ability against Griffin’s striking abilities, but ‘Maverick’ is ready if it stays on the feet.

Michael Chiesa
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – AUGUST 03: (L-R) Michael Chiesa submits Tony Ferguson in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Etihad Arena on August 03, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Merab Dvalishvili Reacts To Former Opponent Petr Yan’s Win & Callout At UFC Macau

Petr Yan made a statement at UFC Macau, defeating Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event before calling for a rematch with current UFC Bantamweight hampion Merab Dvalishvili. Yan won a five-round decision, sweeping the scorecards against the ex-UFC flyweight champion. He then mentioned wanting a rematch with Dvalishvili and an opportunity to regain the bantamweight […]

Petr Yan made a statement at UFC Macau, defeating Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event before calling for a rematch with current UFC Bantamweight hampion Merab Dvalishvili.

Yan won a five-round decision, sweeping the scorecards against the ex-UFC flyweight champion. He then mentioned wanting a rematch with Dvalishvili and an opportunity to regain the bantamweight gold during his post-fight interview.

“Before my fight, Merab [said] Deiveson Figueiredo [was the] No. 1 contender who deserved title fight,” Yan said. “Merab, what do you say now when I beat [the] No. 1 contender in my division? I want to do [a] rematch with Merab. Let’s get it.”

Dvalishvili heard Yan’s callout and responded on social media, starting with praise of the UFC Macau main event and the Russian’s performance before expressing interest in the pair facing off at UFC 313 in Las Vegas on March 8.

Merab Dvalishvili Open To Rematch With Petr Yan, Perhaps As Soon As UFC 313

Dvalishvili and Yan met in the main event of UFC Las Vegas in March 2023, with the Georgian standout taking a five-round unanimous decision.

That fight marked Yan’s third straight loss and fourth defeat in five fights, stemming back to him controversially dropping the bantamweight championship via disqualification to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259.

“No Mercy” has since won a pair of fights in 2024, defeating Song Yadong at UFC 299 before his win over Figueiredo in Macau. Yan put on a striking clinic against “Deus Da Guerra,” and he even showed control on the ground the majority of the time he grappled with Figueiredo on the mat.

Dvalishvili, following the win over Yan, went on to defeat Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 before scoring a decision over Sean O’Malley to capture the bantamweight championship at UFC 306 (Noche UFC).

Biggest Winners, Loser From UFC Macau

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged UFC Macau yesterday (Sat., Nov. 23, 2024) inside Galaxy Arena in Macau, SRA, China, featuring a Bantamweight banger of a fight that saw former d…


UFC Fight Night: Yan v Figueiredo
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) staged UFC Macau yesterday (Sat., Nov. 23, 2024) inside Galaxy Arena in Macau, SRA, China, featuring a Bantamweight banger of a fight that saw former division champion, Petr Yan, defeat ex-Flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, via unanimous decision (see it again here). In the co-main event, Yan Xiaonan bested Tabatha Ricci, also via unanimous decision.

UFC Fight Night: Yan v Figueiredo
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Biggest Winner: Petr Yan

Yan further crowded the championship picture at 135 pounds after his exceptional performance and win over “Daico.” Yan dominated the exchanges on the feet with his precision and power, and even got the best of Figueiredo in the grappling department. It was enough to impress Merab Dvalishvili, who gladly accepted Yan’s challenge afterward and requested a proposed date of March 2025 at UFC 313. Whether or not the promotion makes this move. is another story. Nevertheless, Yan has another title fight in his future, but it remains to be seen if it’s before or after Umar Nurmagomedov.

UFC Fight Night: Cong v Fernandes
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Runner (s) Up: Gabriella Fernandes and Muslim Salikhov

Fernandes took all the smoke brought on by Cong in 1.5 rounds only to turn the tides with a huge left hand in round two that stunned her enough to give the Brazilian the opening to latch on to a suffocating submission (rear-naked choke) and force the stoppage. For “Gabi,” that is now two straight wins inside the Octagon after starting off her UFC career 0-2. This one, however, is huge because now that she’s halted Cong’s hype, some of that spotlight could go to her moving forward. As for Salikhov, the 40 year-old Russian bomber proved that he still has plenty left in the tank, securing his second straight win by absolutely obliterating Song Kenan with a $50,000-winning spinning wheel kick (see it again here). If you recall, that is Salikhov’s second knockout win in that manner, previously ending Andre Fialho’s night nearly two years ago the same way, which also won him “Performance of the Night.”

UFC Fight Night: Cong v Fernandes
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Biggest Loser: Wang Cong

Perhaps Cong was a bit too over confident coming into her fight against the aforementioned Gabriella Fernandes, and it cost her in a big way. The previously undefeated fighter did have several shining moments in the bout until she caught herself in the tight grips of Fernandes, who landed a huge strike that allowed her to go in an sink a rear-naked choke. That said, it’s not that Cong had a bad performance, she just didn’t finish the job, got caught and with the loss her momentum and hype slows down a bit. Since she has a win over current division queen, Valentina Shevchenko, many were hoping for a fight between the two sooner, rather than later. but that will no longer happen. Back to the drawing board she goes.

For complete UFC Macau results and play-by-play, click here.

Joaquin Buckley was Surprised to Learn He was Fighting Colby Covington “Shows people the level I’m on.”

Joaquin Buckley 3New Mansa’ Joaquin Buckley was set to face Ian Machado Garry, but his opponent got switched and now he…

Joaquin Buckley 3

New Mansa’ Joaquin Buckley was set to face Ian Machado Garry, but his opponent got switched and now he will face former top-ranked welterweight Colby Covington. This is set to be a headlining fight on December 14. At first, Buckley wasn’t sure if the match was actually happening.

Joaquin Buckley Was Surprised by Colby Covington

Since moving to welterweight, Joaquin Buckley has been on an unstoppable run including his most recent knockout win against former title contender Stephen Thompson. Interestingly, the fight with Covington came together on short notice. Initially, Buckley was scheduled to face Ian Machado Garry, but plans changed when Garry was moved to a different event. Covington stepped in as a replacement, creating this matchup.

Chaos’ Colby Covington has been relatively inactive lately and is better known for supporting Donald Trump. Covington is known for his outspoken nature and has been involved in various public feuds with other fighters.

The US-born Joaquin Buckley explained how this fight came together, speaking in an interview with James Lynch, he said:

“When I saw the news and the rumors going around on social media, I was like, “Nah, this can’t be happening.” I’d already signed my bout agreement and everything. So I thought, why not go ahead and make that post real quick to let people know the fight was still on? But then, before I knew it, Dana White came out with the announcement, like, “Nah, we got the two undefeated kids fighting each other.”

“Then I got a call from Hunter, telling me they had a great opportunity for me to fight Colby Covington. So they just made the switch. Why did they make the switch? I can’t tell you. But other than that, I just know I’ve got another good fight, and I’m still the main event. That’s all I care about.“

Now, Colby Covington is a must-win position while the streaking Buckley is looking to climb the competitive welterweight rankings. ‘New Mansa’ concluded with:

“Beating someone like this shows people the level I’m on. I can’t wait to show the world how great I am”

joaquin buckley
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 05: Joaquin Buckley reacts after his knockout victory against Stephen Thompson in a welterweight fight during the UFC 307 event at Delta Center on October 05, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

‘I Have Bad Eyes And Don’t Have Enough Testosterone’

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Don’t worry about “Doctor.”
China’s Shi Ming stole the show at UFC Macau yesterday (Sat., Nov. 23, 2024) when she brutally knocked out Feng Xiaocan with a head kick that immediately sent X…


UFC Fight Night: Shi v Feng
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Don’t worry about “Doctor.”

China’s Shi Ming stole the show at UFC Macau yesterday (Sat., Nov. 23, 2024) when she brutally knocked out Feng Xiaocan with a head kick that immediately sent Xiaocan to the hospital in a stretcher (watch highlights). Ming won the 2024 Road To UFC (RTU) Strawweight finals, which earned her an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contract.

During the UFC Macau, the broadcast team shared a few interesting facts about the brand-new Strawweight. Ming is an actual full-time doctor, and the most baffling thing is that she has kept her mixed martial arts (MMA) career a secret from her parents, who have no idea that she competed for a UFC contract on Saturday.

After that brutal viral knockout, Ming’s parents might find out.

During her post-fight interview with UFC News, Ming revealed that fans worry about her due to her 5’2 stature and other “deficiencies.”

“In the Octagon, a lot of fans worry about me because I’m small in the division,” Ming said. “I have bad eyes and don’t have enough testosterone, but in this Octagon, I’m the boss, and I will decide how the match will go and how the fight will be.”

Even though she was losing the fight until the extremely violent knockout, it’s pretty safe to say no one should worry about her well-being, especially if UFC opens up the Atomweight division that UFC CEO Dana White has teased recently.

Nevertheless, Ming (17-5) is riding a five-fight win streak and is the first female fighter to win a UFC contract from RTU.

Enjoy that $50k.

For complete UFC Macau results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.

Your daily UFC trivia game, Sunday edition


Think you can figure out which UFC fighter we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

We’re back for another day of the SB Nation UFC in-5 daily trivia game, and we’re switching to a system of a new article each day for the game.

We tried using a single article for the game, updated with the latest game each day, but it was creating a bit of an unwieldy experience in the comments. So, we’ll have the current day’s game plus the previous three days in each new article. That way, you can catch up if you miss a day.

Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game!

What we need from you

  1. Play the game
  2. Share your result in the comments and on social media
  3. Provide feedback (Google Form or in comments below)

Today’s UFC in-5 game

Saturday’s UFC in-5 game

Friday’s UFC in-5 game

Thursday’s UFC in-5 game

The goal of the game is to guess the correct random UFC fighter player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED FIGHTERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. It will be a mix of well-known players and some “that guys” that we haven’t thought of in some time. The game will appear in slot #3 of the MMA Mania layout each morning, with occasional movement later in the day.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media.



Think you can figure out which UFC fighter we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

We’re back for another day of the SB Nation UFC in-5 daily trivia game, and we’re switching to a system of a new article each day for the game.

We tried using a single article for the game, updated with the latest game each day, but it was creating a bit of an unwieldy experience in the comments. So, we’ll have the current day’s game plus the previous three days in each new article. That way, you can catch up if you miss a day.

Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game!

What we need from you

  1. Play the game
  2. Share your result in the comments and on social media
  3. Provide feedback (Google Form or in comments below)

Today’s UFC in-5 game


Saturday’s UFC in-5 game


Friday’s UFC in-5 game


Thursday’s UFC in-5 game


The goal of the game is to guess the correct random UFC fighter player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED FIGHTERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. It will be a mix of well-known players and some “that guys” that we haven’t thought of in some time. The game will appear in slot #3 of the MMA Mania layout each morning, with occasional movement later in the day.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media.