Michael Chiesa speaks out for the first time since his first-round submission loss to Vicente Luque at UFC 265.
UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa has spoken out for the first time since his devastating loss to Vicente Luque at UFC 265, posting a lengthy message to his fans on his Twitter page.
Chiesa and Luque squared off in a pivotal welterweight battle to decide who could potentially fight for the title next after Colby Covington. Both Chiesa and Luque came into the fight with plenty of momentum, including Chiesa who had four straight fights against the likes of Rafael dos Anjos and Neil Magny.
It was a back-and-forth affair in the opening round of the bout, with both fighters landing some hard shots on the feet before Chiesa landed a big takedown and getting top-mount. Chiesa attempted a series of chokes when he finally got Luque’s back, but Luque was able to break free and reverse position. After a wild scramble, Luque got Chiesa’s back and sunk in the d’Arce choke to clinch the victory.
Chiesa remains on the outside looking in when it comes to the UFC welterweight title discussion and described his feelings after suffering a brutal loss on such a big stage.
“Congrats to [Vicente Luque], he’s a stone-cold killer and a class act,” Chiesa posted in a tweet following the event. “To say I’m embarrassed is an understatement. Physically, I was in the best shape of my life, mentally I was battling myself every single day. I put too much pressure on myself this fight and I cracked.”
“The goal remains the same, my life is still just as strong and I love every single person that supports me so much that it hurts.”
Despite the loss, Michael Chiesa remains a tough matchup for the top UFC welterweights
After getting the first-round submission over Chiesa, Luque called out UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for the next title shot following his widely-expected rematch with Covington later this year. Luque entered the UFC 265 bout with a massive first-round submission over former champion Tyron Woodley earlier this year at UFC 260.
Chiesa remains one of the toughest matchups in the UFC’s welterweight division, and it’ll be fascinating to see how he’s able to rebound after such a tough defeat in the octagon.