Since moving up to welterweight, Michael Chiesa has had an amazing run. He's been on an undefeated run of 3-0, which includes wins over former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos and interim champion Carlos Condit. In a recent interview, he shared his thoughts on the upcoming fight between Tyron Woodley and Gilbert Burns.
“I’m pulling for him against Tyron. I think that, no matter what, him and I are on a collision course. We’re gonna fight someday. It’s just destined to be. Until then, I’m just gonna sit back as a fan and I’m hoping he wins. I’m definitely hoping he beats Woodley. That would be huge. That’d be a big feather in his cap."
Micahel Chiesa's current situation
Michael Chiesa has been one of the few contenders to look out for at the UFC welterweight division. He's amassed attention because of his run and wants to have a shot at the title. Hence, it came as a massive surprise when he announced he won't be competing during the COVID period. He justified his decision,
"I pretty much told him, ‘I’m not gonna fight the best jiu-jitsu practitioner at welterweight without being able to go train at my jiu-jitsu academy. If you’re going into an MMA fight, and you have a revolver that holds six bullets, that’s like pulling two bullets out and only being able to go in there with four. I’m trying to have as many bullets as I can heading into a gun fight."
It should be fun to see what is next in the division. With Michael Chiesa lurking around the corner things have become very interesting. The division hasn't seen any clear contender emerge since Usman defeated Colby Covington. Fighters like Leon Edwards, Tyron Woodley, Gilbert Burns amongst others have all at some point asked for a title shot.