Last fight
Win
Chiesa vs Griffin
Dec. 7, 2024
UFC Spotlight
Stats & Records
12
Wins by Submission
6
First Round Finishes
Significant Strikes include all strikes at distance, plus power strikes in the clinch and on the ground.
Striking accuracy
- Sig. Strikes Landed
- 409
- Sig. Strikes Attempted
- 1005
A takedown is awarded when a fighter deliberately grapples an opponent to the ground and establishes an advantageous position for an appreciable amount of time.
Takedown Accuracy
- Takedowns Landed
- 17
- Takedowns Attempted
- 86
- Sig. Str. Defense is the percentage of significant strikes attempted against a fighter that do not land.
- Takedown defense is the percentage of takedowns attempted against a fighter that do not land.
- Knockdown Avg. is the average number of knockdowns per 15 Minutes window.
Sig. Str. by target
athlete record
Info
Status
Active
Place of Birth
Aurora, United States
Trains at
Sik-Jitsu Spokane, WA
Fighting style
Wrestling
Age
37
Height
73.00
Weight
171.00
Octagon Debut
Jun. 2, 2012
Reach
75.50
Leg reach
43.00
- Team Faber member on TUF 15
- Pro since 2008
- 11 UFC fights at welterweight (8-3)
- Had amateur record of 7-1
- 12 wins by submission (9 RNC, D’Arce, triangle, kimura)
- Six first round finishes, all in under four minutes
- Has won seven of his last 10 and three in a row
UFC on ESPN (6/14/25) Chiesa won a three round unanimous decision over Court McGee
UFC 310 (12/7/24) Chiesa submitted Max Griffin via rear-naked choke at 1:56 of the third round
UFC on ABC (8/3/24) Chiesa submitted Tony Ferguson via rear-naked choke at 3:44 of the first round
UFC 291 (7/29/23) Chiesa was submitted by Kevin Holland via D’Arce choke at 2:39 of the first round
UFC Fight Night (11/20/21) Chiesa lost a three round unanimous decision to Sean Brady
UFC 265 (8/7/21) Chiesa was submitted by Vicente Luque via D’Arce choke at 3:25 of the first round
UFC on ESPN (1/20/21) Chiesa won a five round unanimous decision over Neil Magny
UFC Fight Night (1/25/20) Chiesa won a three round unanimous decision over Rafael Dos Anjos
UFC 239 (7/6/19) Chiesa won a three round unanimous decision over Diego Sanchez
UFC 232 (12/29/18) Chiesa submitted Carlos Condit via kimura at :56 of the second round
UFC 226 (7/6/18) Chiesa was submitted by Anthony Pettis via triangle armbar at :52 of the second round
UFC Fight Night (6/25/17) Chiesa was submitted by Kevin Lee via rear naked choke at 4:37 of the first round
UFC on FOX (4/16/16) Chiesa submitted Beneil Dariush via rear naked choke at 1:20 of the second round
UFC Fight Night (12/10/15) Chiesa submitted Jim Miller via rear naked choke at 2:57 of the second round
UFC Fight Night (4/4/15) Chiesa won a three round unanimous decision over Mitch Clarke
UFC Fight Night (9/5/14) Chiesa was stopped by Joe Lauzon due to a cut at 2:14 of the second round
UFC 173 (5/24/14) Chiesa won a three round unanimous decision over Francisco Trinaldo
UFC Fight for the Troops (11/6/13) Chiesa submitted Colton Smith via rear naked choke at 1:41 of the second round
UFC on FOX (7/27/13) Chiesa was submitted by Jorge Masvidal via D’Arce choke at 4:59 of the second round
UFC 157 (2/23/13) Chiesa submitted Anton Kuivanen via rear naked choke at 2:29 of the second round
TUF 15 Finale (6/1/12) Chiesa won season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, submitting Al Iaquinta via rear naked choke at 2:47 of the first round
The Ultimate Fighter, Season 15
On episode 12 (semifinals) Chiesa stopped James Vick via strikes in the second round
On episode 10 (quarterfinals) Chiesa stopped Justin Lawrence via strikes at 1:02 of the third round
On episode five, Chiesa won a two round unanimous decision over Jeremy Larsen
On episode one, Chiesa submitted Johnavan Vistante via rear naked choke at 2:05 of the first round
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training after I saw my first UFC when I was in seventh grade. I just knew that I wanted to be a fighter.
Training: A typical day of training for me is really well rounded. No day in the gym is specific to one facet; we make sure to touch on a little bit of everything every day. That way I leave no stone unturned on fight night.
What professional titles have you held? LOTC lightweight champ, TUF 15 champion
Any accomplishments in amateur combat sports? 6x amateur MMA champion in the Pacific Northwest
Any belts/ ranks in grappling disciplines? Black belt in BJJ
Any belts/ ranks in striking disciplines? No, unless you count cowboy karate.
What has been your toughest fight to date and why? Francisco Trinaldo was my toughest win to date. He hit me with some really hard shots and had some great submission attacks that fight, as well. My toughest loss was probably the Anthony Pettis fight. I grew the most from that fight. More so than any of the others.
Who is your favorite fighter and why? Tough question but I have to go with Chuck Liddell. To me, he’s the best fighter to ever do it.
Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I did three days of college and then I dropped out so I could start fighting.
What was your job before you started fighting? I worked full-time for the Budweiser distributor back home in Spokane.
Personal Life / Background: Snowboarding is my favorite hobby, as well as sucking at golf. I’m the assistant wrestling coach at Shadle Park High School, where I graduated from. I love coaching the kids. Wrestling is the foundation for the life I’ve built for myself in MMA, so I love giving back to the sport. I have a dog named Blue, she’s a Cane Corso. I’m happily married to my best friend Kelsi Jo. I love living in the woods and being in the mountains. No kids, so I travel a lot. My first love was skateboarding. My all time heroes are my grandpa Darrell Triber, my dad Mark Chiesa, and Danny Way, who is a pro skateboarder. Those three people were instrumental in my growth in this sport. I’m very passionate about my broadcasting career. Being an analyst and doing commentary gives me a platform to share my knowledge and love for the sport. My life revolves around this sport in every which way, I’m very blessed. I’m a big Dave Matthews’ Band fan and someday I want to own a pizza joint. I’m also terrified of bats.
