Michael Chiesa is now 2-0 at welterweight. The 31-year-old beat Carlos Condit at UFC 232 in his debut. He then dominated Diego Sanchez at UFC 239 to win by decision.
Although it was a dominating performance for Chiesa, he wanted that finish over Sanchez. He wanted to be the first fighter to submit Diego Sanchez but did not.
“Diego’s a tough guy. He took me to some pretty deep waters,” Chiesa said at a UFC 239 post-fight media scrum on Saturday (h/t BloodyElbow). “I’m tired. I’m very pleased, but I wanted a finish. I’m a finisher, but he’s still Diego Sanchez. He’s a wild man. I’m very blessed to come out with the win.”
Now, after the win, Michael Chiesa is eyeing a top-10 opponent. He has beaten two legends of the sport and now wants to work his way up the welterweight rankings to become a UFC champion.
“Top-10 next. I won’t accept anything less,” Chiesa continued. “I usually have a name in mind, but I don’t tonight. I didn’t want to look past Diego. I’m going to let the UFC decide, but be ready if you have a number next to your name. This is the weight class (in which) I can win a world championship.”
Who he fights next or when he does is up in the air. But, Michael Chiesa is confident he gets a top-10 opponent next, and is happy with his UFC 239 win.
