LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White said it best in an off-camera
conversation with Mike Chiesa just moments after “Maverick” submitted Al
Iaquinta in the final bout of The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale.
“Congratulations,” White told Chiesa. “Storybook ending.”
Indeed it was after Chiesa survived the heartbreak of losing his father
during the first week of filming of this season’s edition of the reality
competition show. And yet Chiesa refused to enjoy the moment too much, viewing
the result as just the beginning of his journey.