Michael Chiesa took home the spoils in the headline bout at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi early on Thursday morning.
The American defeated compatriot Neil Magny by unanimous decision at Etihad Arena, wrestling his way to the win through five rounds. All three judges gave it 49-46 in the welterweight bout.
Having gone into the encounter as the division’s No 8-ranked contender – Magny was ninth – Chiesa is expected to move into the top five. As soon as the result was confirmed, he immediately called out former interim champion Colby Covington.
“Because he’s the toughest match-up for me,” Chiesa said at the post-fight press conference. “Stylistically, that guy should beat me on any given Sunday. From a physical standpoint, from the mental warfare standpoint, there’s not a lot of boxes you can check that favour me in that fight.
“But how can I say I want to be champion if I don’t want to fight the best guys? And sometimes the best guys are the ones who are toughest for you stylistically. So I look at the top five and he’s the hardest fight for me.
“We’ll see what happens. If I come up short I come up short. If I want to be the best I got to beat the best. That’s the guy.”
Chiesa arrived at the fight on the back of a three-fight win streak, although he had not competed in almost exactly a year. With the win, he moved to 18-4 in professional mixed martial arts.
“It’s surreal man," he said. "I’ve always been vocal since I got into the UFC that my goal is to become world champion. And the key is really setting the small goals along the way. And that four-five win streak in the UFC has alluded me for a while.
"Being able to achieve that goal tonight, getting my rematch with a main event and getting a fair shake on the score cards, winning my first main event ... it's achieving these small goals along the way to get to the ultimate prize.
“That was a tough fight, man. Neil’s as tough as they come. That guy can beat anybody on any given day. This is the biggest win for me, for sure.”
In the co-main event, Dubai-based Mounir Lazzez fell to a first-round TKO in his welterweight clash with Warlley Alves.
Making only his second UFC appearance, and first since the debut victory last July, Lazzez was caught with a succession of kicks before referee Herb Dean eventually waved it off.
Cheered on by a vocal cluster of compatriots, the Tunisian, whose nickname is “The Sniper”, raised his hands in apology upon leaving the octagon.
“This was my game plan, to throw kicks,” said Alves before collecting one of the two Performance of the Night bonuses handed out by the UFC. “I kicked him twice and he was hurt, so I kicked him again. He’s a sniper and snipers need distance. I fought him close.
“I feel happy. I worked a lot. This is my moment. I’m back. That is all.”
