Following a submission loss to Vicente Luque in August that halted a four-fight winning streak, Michael Chiesa is eager to get back into action in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 43 against the undefeated Sean Brady.
“The steps to getting that behind me was just booking another fight,” said Chiesa. “The moment I walked out of the Octagon after the Luque fight, I saw Danny [Rubenstein], my manager, and was like, ‘I’ve got to get back in there as soon as possible.’ You know, you learn from your losses, but you don’t want to marinate on them for too long.”
Although his last fight against Luque was a matchup of top-ranked contenders, facing unbeaten talent Sean Brady (14-0) on Saturday is a has some similarities. He noted that he has been in attendance for several of Brady’s bouts, including instances in which he was a cage-side commentator. And he has a high level of respect for the mat game of Brady. Chiesa (17-5) views this booking as a chance to right some wrongs against serious competition.
Michael Chiesa hopes to rewrite grappling wrongs of Luque loss at UFC Vegas 43
“I like the challenges that he presents. It’s a way for me to kind of right that wrong. I mean, one tactical error against Vicente Luque, and now it’s like once they gave me the Sean Brady fight, I was like, this is perfect. This guy’s a great grappler, and I can right that wrong by going out there and beating him. So, I’m really looking forward to kind of hitting two birds with one stone. Getting a win and erasing the bad taste in my mouth from my last fight,” explained Chiesa.
“I just want to prove I’m still that guy, and there’s no better way of doing that then fighting a tough, undefeated, up-and-coming prospect that everyone’s super high on. As they should be. Look at his line of work, it has been great. The place he cut his teeth, CFFC, that’s a tough proving ground for an up-and-coming fighter. I know what he’s capable of. I know what he brings to the table. This ain’t no push-over. He’s a tough kid, but I’ve got to prove I’m still the guy.”
Sean Brady had serious fears an infection would cost him his foot
Brady, likewise, is eager to get back in the cage. The undefeated prospect hasn’t fought since March and saw two matchups with Kevin Lee fall through due to injuries from both fighters. Brady’s being a scary infection where he had concerns that he could very well lose his foot.
“I’m just grateful to be back,” said Brady. “There was a point [when] I was in the hospital and I couldn’t walk. I thought I was going to lose my foot. Me, my fiance, my mom, we were pretty scared. But luckily, everything worked out, and I’m just super fortunate to be here.
“… At that point, I was honestly like, ‘F*ck the fight. F*ck fighting. I’m going to lose my foot. I’m never going to walk again. I was in the hospital for a week. Every time I would stand up, the pain I would feel was excruciating. I literally couldn’t walk.”
Now, however, his attention has turned to Michael Chiesa. He shares Chiesa’s respect and states that he has watched Chiesa compete for some time.
“I’ve been watching Chiesa forever,” said Brady. “It’s super cool to be able to be here and know that I’m going to fight him. I’m super excited to show my skills versus his. Once he moved up to 170 and beat Neil [Magny] and RDA [Rafael dos Anjos], I was like, ‘Damn. He’s going to be a player at 170. This is definitely a guy I would like to test myself [against].’ … I’m gonna show who I am Saturday night, and then I’ll let everybody do the talking for me.”
UFC Vegas 43 takes place on Nov. 20 from inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nev. and is headlined by a clash of ranked women’s bantamweights when former champion Miesha Tate faces Ketlen Vieira in a five-round matchup. The event kicks off at 3 pm ET, and air exclusively on ESPN+.
