Michael Chiesa, just three fights into what many considered an experimental move to welterweight, finds himself in an interesting position entering his first shot at headlining a UFC card. Not only would Chiesa (17-4) likely secure a spot for himself in the title picture should he get past veteran Neil Magny (24-7) at Wednesday's UFC Fight Night card in Abu Dhabi in their battle of top-10 fighters at 170 pounds, but the 33-year-old Chiesa has become a surprisingly hulking figure in the division.
After putting so much stress on his body to make lightweight for most of his career, critics wondered whether Chiesa would be big enough to compete with top welterweights. As it turned out, the 6-foot-1 Chiesa has filled out nicely at the new weight and has looked like a giant in dominant wins over Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez and Rafael dos Anjos since making the move.
"I was fighting my body for a long time," Chiesa told "Morning Kombat" last week. "Once I got in the UFC and I really started to figure out how I need to train for my style, it involves a lot of strength and conditioning. My body wanted to get better, and I was really putting myself through hell with these huge weight cuts."
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Chiesa, who is ranked No. 8 in the welterweight division by the UFC, said that taking the stress off of his body and allowing it to properly nourish made it feel like he went through a second growth spurt.
"I really am a big welterweight, and I didn't realize it until I'm fighting Diego Sanchez and I go back and watch the film and it's like, 'Oh my God, I'm swallowing this guy up. If he stood in front of me, I could cast a shadow over him,'" Chiesa said. "That's just the product of hard work. I'm in the right weight class for sure, and I'm never going back."
Chiesa was originally scheduled to face Magny, 33, on the undercard of the mid-week show -- the second of three over eight nights for the UFC on Fight Island -- but received the bump to top billing after red-hot prospect Khamzat Chimaev pulled out of his scheduled bout against Leon Edwards.
"This is the era of opportunity in mixed martial arts. This is the era to step up on short notice and do great things," Chiesa said. "It's not that I had a short-notice fight, but I had short notice to be in the main event, and what a great opportunity in the perfect situation to fight the guy I had been preparing for.
"Me and Neil have been eyeing each other for a long time in terms of a fight. He's an awesome guy. We have good general interactions, and I think it's going to make for a special fight. I'm as healthy as I could possibly be heading into the biggest fight of my life."
Magny enters with a similar three-fight win streak and has won five of his last six overall dating back to 2017, including wins over Condit, Li Jingaling and Robbie Lawler.
Chiesa admitted that taking Magny to the ground will be his main focus, but he hopes to get a chance just the same to show his fans how well-rounded he has become standing up.
"[My standup game] is a lot more complete than people would think," Chiesa said. "Plan A for me is always grappling, and I'm not shy about that. The times I have showcased my striking skills, I've put hands on Jorge Masvidal and a lot of very talented guys. When I'm able to stick to Plan A and people can't stop it, I'm not going to resort to my striking. There's no need to go to Plan B."
In the co-main event, Mounir Lazzez will take on Warlley Alves in a welterweight showdown. Lazzez boasts a 10-1 record and is coming off a decision win in his UFC debut over Abdul Razak Alhassan. He has eight stoppages wins in his career. Alves, meanwhile, is 13-4 and coming off a loss to Randy Brown in 2019. Alves is just 3-2 since 2017, though two of those wins have come by stoppage.
Here's a look at the complete card with the latest odds from William Hill Sportsbook.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
Neil Magny -140 | Michael Chiesa +120 | Welterweight |
Mounir Lazzez -240 | Warlley Alves +200 | Welterweight |
Ike Villanueva -135 | Vinicius Moreira +115 | Light heavyweight |
| Viviane Araujo -330 | Roxanne Modafferi +260 | Flyweight |
| Tyson Nam -125 | Matt Schnell +105 | Middleweight |
| Lerone Murphy -310 | Douglas Silva De Andrade +250 | Featherweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Jan. 20 | Start time: Noon ET
Location: Flash Forum -- Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
TV Channel: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Prediction
Given Magny's gas tank and high-octane style, it will be imperative for Chiesa to control the terms of this fight now that making this the card's main event elevates the fight to five rounds. To do that, Chiesa's Plan A of taking Magny down will have to be on point. A volume puncher with an accurate jab, Magny relies on his pressure to win rounds and wear down his opponents. But the best news in this case for Chiesa is that Magny isn't a huge finishing threat when he steps up in class.
This fight essentially offers the same stakes to both competitors as an opportunity to separate themselves from the middle of the pack by making a big statement about their potential as title contenders. And to fully take advantage of the opportunity, the winner will need to be bold.
Ultimately, that's what could separate them in the end. Chiesa, with three submissions wins over his last six victories, takes far more chances and gives himself an opportunity to rise to the occasion in an evenly-matched fight. Magny, on the other hand, typically plays it too safe. This is the type of fight where Magny could win more rounds yet still find himself on the wrong end of a stoppage loss. Pick: Chiesa via fourth-round submission
