Michael Chiesa on Conor McGregor: ‘We’re sitting and waiting for one guy to do something’

UFC Oklahoma City headliner Michael Chiesa isn’t happy at the lightweight division being held up while champ Conor McGregor is off boxing Floyd Mayweather.

Like a lot of UFC lightweights, Michael Chiesa is frustrated. The number six-ranked 155-pounder will headline a show in Oklahoma City this weekend where he takes on rival Kevin Lee. A win could bump him into the top five and put him one step closer to a title shot. Unfortunately for him though, the belt isn’t being defended any time soon.

With Conor McGregor taking a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, it means that the lightweight strap will be on the shelf for over a year. And Chiesa vented his frustration about that on a recent episode of the Fight Society podcast (via Fox Sports):

“We don’t need to beat around the bush. Conor’s doing what he’s doing is f—king retarded. What Conor is doing is ridiculous. It’s a tricky decision, and it’s all tricky because we’re sitting and waiting for one guy to do something, and you’ve got 10 guys spring loaded to do something. Like we’re all gunning to be world champion and it sucks just having to sit back and wait to see what this guy does.

“By the time the Floyd fight happens, his belt will have not moved for a year. This division has already been plagued by delays. Look when (Anthony) Pettis was champion, how many fights we had. We had none. There’s never been an interim title. Once again the lightweight division is back logged so it kind of sucks. It really does.”

He will give McGregor some credit though – the money he’s getting for the Floyd fight is pretty much impossible to turn down, so he understands why it’s happening:

“As upset as I am in the state of the lightweight division, I’d probably do the same thing if I were Conor and I had $100 million waiting for me. I don’t blame him for doing what he’s doing but it sucks for the rest of us.”

Chiesa and the 11th-ranked Lee will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night 112 in the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City on Sunday, June 25th.

UFC Oklahoma City headliner Michael Chiesa isn’t happy at the lightweight division being held up while champ Conor McGregor is off boxing Floyd Mayweather.

Like a lot of UFC lightweights, Michael Chiesa is frustrated. The number six-ranked 155-pounder will headline a show in Oklahoma City this weekend where he takes on rival Kevin Lee. A win could bump him into the top five and put him one step closer to a title shot. Unfortunately for him though, the belt isn’t being defended any time soon.

With Conor McGregor taking a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, it means that the lightweight strap will be on the shelf for over a year. And Chiesa vented his frustration about that on a recent episode of the Fight Society podcast (via Fox Sports):

“We don’t need to beat around the bush. Conor’s doing what he’s doing is f—king retarded. What Conor is doing is ridiculous. It’s a tricky decision, and it’s all tricky because we’re sitting and waiting for one guy to do something, and you’ve got 10 guys spring loaded to do something. Like we’re all gunning to be world champion and it sucks just having to sit back and wait to see what this guy does.

“By the time the Floyd fight happens, his belt will have not moved for a year. This division has already been plagued by delays. Look when (Anthony) Pettis was champion, how many fights we had. We had none. There’s never been an interim title. Once again the lightweight division is back logged so it kind of sucks. It really does.”

He will give McGregor some credit though – the money he’s getting for the Floyd fight is pretty much impossible to turn down, so he understands why it’s happening:

“As upset as I am in the state of the lightweight division, I’d probably do the same thing if I were Conor and I had $100 million waiting for me. I don’t blame him for doing what he’s doing but it sucks for the rest of us.”

Chiesa and the 11th-ranked Lee will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night 112 in the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City on Sunday, June 25th.