After an impressive first-round finish against Tony Ferguson in Abu Dhabi, TUF alumnus Michael Chiesa has the perfect opponent in mind for his next appearance.
Chiesa’s appearances inside the Octagon have been few and far between in recent years, but ‘Maverick’ is ready to get right back to work after putting away the former interim lightweight titleholder with relative ease inside Etihad Arena.
During a post-fight interview, Chiesa called for a clash with three-time title challenger Colby Covington to determine who the best wrestler in the Pacific Northwest truly is.
“I want to fight Colby Covington. I’ve been saying this for years,” Chiesa said. “That guy can sit on the sidelines and say whatever he wants. I’m not chasing the ranking. I don’t give a sh*t. I just want to find out who is the best fighter. Who is the best welterweight in the Pacific Northwest? I know he resides in Dade County, Mr. 305, but let’s find out who’s the best in the Northwest. Is it me or is it you?
“That’s what I want to find out. Are you going to idly sit down and do nothing? Or are you going to come back and fight? Keep your ranking, I don’t give a sh*t. I just want to find out who’s the best in the Northwest” (h/t Sherdog).
Colby Covington clings to his No. 4 ranking despite little activity and even fewer wins
Like Chiesa, Covington is 2-3 in his last five, though ‘Chaos’ is barely averaging one fight per year at this point. Still, that hasn’t stopped the staunch MAGA supporter from talking his way into a title opportunity — or three of them. Covington came up short in all three bids, losing to Kamaru Usman twice before getting shut down by Leon Edwards in his last outing.
Covington appeared to be on a collision course with rising contender Ian Machado Garry after ‘Chaos’ shared some distasteful remarks regarding Garry’s marriage to TV personality Layla Machado Garry. Unfortunately, interest in that fight quickly waned after ‘The Future’ claimed Covington had declined the UFC’s offer to make it happen.
Covington has since denied that the promotion ever offered him the fight.
Despite his limited activity and zero wins over anyone in the current welterweight top 15, Covington continues to cling to his No. 4 ranking, making him a target for fighters like Garry who is steadily working his way up the ladder.
However, it looks like ‘Chaos’ is more interested in waiting for undeserved title fights or marquee matchups against fighters on an active losing streak.
