Michael
Chiesa had a fairytale retirement.

Chiesa (20-7) took on Niko Price
(16-11) in his last Octagon outing at
UFC Seattle on Saturday. “The Maverick” took Price down, locked
in a rear-naked choke, and earned the tap in hardly over a minute.
The 38-year-old hung up his gloves on a four-fight winning streak
with three finishes. Chiesa says he is glad to ride off into the
sunset while he is still winning. The fighter-commentator loves the
sport too much to stick around after he is washed up. While he
retires from competition, the UFC veteran plans to be a part of the
sport for the rest of his life.

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“I want to go out feeling like I can still win fights,” Chiesa said
in a post-fight interview. “I don’t want to go down face down in
the mud… I have too much respect for the sport to stick around and
just end up letting it get the best of me. So I’m gonna get the
best of it. I’m gonna go out on my terms and walk away from the
sport of MMA as a competitor. But I will be a part of this sport
for the rest of my life.”

Planting a Seed

A large part of Chiesa’s post-retirement career will likely be
spent in commentating for the
UFC. Chiesa revealed that longtime commentator Jon Anik first
planted the idea in his head on “The Ultimate Fighter 15,” which
“The Maverick” won just days after his father’s demise in 2012.

“Jon Anik planted the seed when I was on ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’”
Chiesa said. “He thought that I should pursue broadcasting. I
didn’t see what he saw. I think it was just because however I
handled myself on the microphone. He’s the guy that planted the
seed that I should push myself to get into broadcasting.” 

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

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