Added Pressure Not An Issue For UFC Lightweight, Northwest Fighter Michael Chiesa

Following a dramatic loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC on Fox 8 last July, Michael Chiesa wasted no time in showing that he could rebound from a tough loss when he submitted fellow Ultimate Fighter winner, Colton Smith, just four months later. After that quick rebound victory, Chiesa is back on top of his game and is ready for a challenge. On May 24^th, at UFC 173, Chiesa will get just that when he takes on talented Brazilian, Francisco Trinaldo. Chiesa, already 3-1 in the UFC, is looking to work his way into the top 15 of the lightweight division. A win in this fight against Trinaldo will likely have him knocking on the door. This week I had a chance to talk with Michael Chiesa about this upcoming fight. I asked Michael how he felt going in against a fighter as well rounded as Trinaldo and where would he look to take the fight.

“There really is no game plan for my fight against Trinaldo. He has great kickboxing chops, he’s a southpaw, he’s very big for the division as he was previously a middleweight and his [Brazilian Jiu Jitsu] game is definitely respectable. He shut down high-level wrestler Mike Rio and submitted him. That just shows he’s a well-rounded athlete…with all that being said, I do believe I can beat him wherever the fight takes place. I say that as a humble competitor, I’m just confident in my skills. I’m looking to go out with my usual ‘kill or be killed’ mentality, I love to finish fights and that’s what I intend to do.”

Not only will Chiesa have his hands full with Trinaldo, he will also have the added pressure of headlining the preliminary card on Fox Sports 1. Traditionally, this position on the prelims carries some extra weight, as it is expected to draw in the audience and make them want to buy the pay per view that follows. The UFC reserves this spot on the card for fighters that are exciting and of a higher caliber. The pressure can get to some fighters, so I asked Michael how he felt about being slotted in this position. Chiesa didn’t seemed bothered by it at all, saying,

“I put a lot of pressure on myself every time I compete, but I’m a pressure fighter, that’s when I do my best. Even as an amateur and fighting in the small clubs in Spokane, I always put that pressure on myself to perform, and it works. The last time I headlined the prelims I came up short and acquired my first professional loss against the #15 ranked Jorge Masvidal in what many thought was Fight of the Night. So I’m looking to seize this opportunity to finish the prelims off with an exciting fight for the fans and put another notch in the win column going forward.”

In preparation for his fight at UFC 173, Chiesa has decided to switch up his regular routine, splitting time training at home in Spokane, Washington at Sik Jitsu with his longtime coach Rick Little and in Las Vegas at Syndicate MMA. This is a big move to make, so I asked Michael how he felt the transition has gone and if this was something he would look to do again in the future.

“This hasn’t been a difficult transition at all. Sik Jitsu will always be my home base. That’s where I started my career under the tutelage of Rick Little who has been the mastermind behind myself, Sam Sicilia, Julianna Pena and plenty of other UFC and Strikeforce vets…This fight I needed a different flavor for training…a former Sik Jitsu teammate of mine, Mike Hanks, brought me to Syndicate and introduced me to the head coach John Wood. I felt very comfortable at Syndicate, and after Rick, Sam and myself made a trip down here to train for a week, we decided it was a good idea for me to get outside of my comfort zone and spend some time training here. John [Wood] is an amazing coach, he’s got a tough stable of guys and has been putting me through some great trainings. It’s been a great camp splitting my time between Sik Jitsu and Syndicate, I feel it was the right choice to make for this fight and I can see myself doing this more going forward with my career.”

Back in Spokane, longtime friend and UFC veteran, Sam Sicilia, is also preparing for a fight at UFC 173. While Chiesa and Sicilia have spent a bit of their respective training camps apart they remain in close contact. I wanted to know how it has been being able to train for a fight on the same card with his teammate, so I asked Michael how fun has it been to go through the training process with Sam for this event.

“Sam and I always have fun training together. Whether it’s his camp, my camp or we’re both getting prepared for the same event; we always make the best of it. That’s been the hardest thing about this camp is not having him at my side everyday like I’m used to. This whole journey through MMA has been so fun with him and some of out best work has been on the nights when we both fight. That’s going to hold true at UFC 173, were both coming home with wins.”

If Chiesa wants to be sure his prediction comes true he will have to be prepared for a fight that can take place anywhere. As I mentioned before, Trinaldo is very well rounded. Having won multiple kickboxing titles, Trinaldo has great striking and a ton of power to go along with it. Chiesa mentioned during this interview that Trinaldo was once two weight classes above lightweight and he will clearly be the larger man in the cage come the 24^th. That’s not to say Chiesa is small; he previously has fought at welterweight and stands just over 6 feet tall. Nevertheless, Chiesa will have to use good head movement to avoid the overhand power shots that Trinaldo is known to throw, and mix up his strikes and takedowns to keep Trinaldo out of rhythm if he hopes to get the win.

This fight could very well catapult either Chiesa or Trinaldo into the top 15 in the division and start them on their way to a title run. With that in mind it is clear that the UFC matchmakers picked the right guys to headline the prelims. So as May 24^th inches closer get ready to support Michael Chiesa as he starts his quest to bring UFC gold to the Pacific Northwest.