Following a second-round submission loss to Anthony Pettis at UFC 226, Michael Chiesa made the decision to move up to welterweight for his next contest for a fresh start. Chiesa had a name in mind for his welterweight debut, former interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit, and sources close to MMA News’s Damon Martin has confirmed that the bout is very close to being finalized for UFC 232, as initially reported by Chris Taylor of BJPenn.com.
After receiving word that Michael Chiesa handpicked him for his welterweight debut, Carlos Condit was quick to take to Twitter and publicly welcome the contest:
In in ? @UFC @seanshelby @MikeMav22 see you in December big guy https://t.co/5fA3DNGSb3
— Carlos Condit (@CarlosCondit) September 15, 2018
Michael Chiesa has a professional record 14-4 and is 7-4 in the UFC. 10 of his 14 victories have come by way of submission, including submitting names like Jim Miller, Beneil Dariush, and Al Iaquinta. Chiesa has also won Fight of the Night honors twice, and should this bout with Condit be finalized, there is a strong chance he will make it a trifecta.
Carlos Condit has a 30-12 professional record and is 7-8 in the UFC. With Carlos Condit currently outside of the Top 15 in the welterweight rankings but still carrying a revered name by both fans and fighters alike, he makes all the sense in the world for a welterweight debut for Chiesa. Condit is currently on a four-fight losing streak and was once flirting with retirement following his first-round submission loss to Demian Maia in 2016. Condit would then return to drop back-to-back losses to Neil Magny and Alex Oliveira to make his exit from the top 15.
UFC 232 is currently set to be headlined by Cris Cyborg defending her featherweight championship against Amanda Nunes and will take place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Nevada on December 29th, 2018.
Do you believe Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa is the right fight to make for both fighters?
