UFC "Maverick"

Michael Chiesa Record: 20-7-0

Record20-7-0

Age38

DivisionWelterweight · #22

Combat Edge Elo1758

Last fightMar 28 2026

Michael Chiesa has a 20-7-0 professional record and is 38 years old in the Welterweight division, representing Sikjitsu. This profile tracks fight history, UFC stats, ELO rating, record, age, and opponent links.

Last updated Jun 17, 2026 · Combat Edge fight database

Michael Chiesa bio

Personal background

Michael Chiesa is an American welterweight known throughout his career as "Maverick," a 6'1" grappler with a 20-7 record who built one of the most respected submission games in the division while representing Spokane, Washington, for his entire run. Born on December 7, 1987, Chiesa grew up immersed in wrestling and the grappling arts of the Pacific Northwest, eventually earning a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and making his home at the renowned Sikjitsu gym in Spokane. His path was shaped by family above all: his father, Mark, who introduced him to the sport, died of leukemia during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter in 2012, and Chiesa fought on in his honor — a story that became inseparable from his rise. Long, rangy and relentless on the mat, he turned a wrestling base and a constricting jiu-jitsu game into a 65% finish rate built almost entirely on submissions.

Path to the UFC

Chiesa turned professional in 2010 and quickly stacked up regional submission wins before earning his shot on The Ultimate Fighter Season 15. On the show he submitted his way toward the final, beating Jeremy Larsen by decision and stopping Justin Lawrence and James Vick by TKO in the tournament bracket. Carrying the weight of his father's death, he capped the run at the TUF 15 Finale in June 2012 by submitting Al Iaquinta with a first-round rear-naked choke to become the season's winner and lock in his UFC contract.

Lightweight years

As a UFC lightweight, Chiesa established himself as a dangerous finisher. He submitted Anton Kuivanen in 2013, recovered from a submission loss to Jorge Masvidal, and reeled off wins over Colton Smith and Francisco Trinaldo. After a TKO loss to Joe Lauzon, he answered with arguably his best stretch: a 2015 rear-naked choke of veteran Jim Miller and a 2016 submission of the then-undefeated-in-the-UFC Beneil Dariush. Setbacks to Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis followed, prompting a move up in weight.

Welterweight resurgence and final run

The jump to welterweight revitalized Chiesa. He opened the chapter by submitting former interim champion Carlos Condit with a kimura in 2018, then outpointed Diego Sanchez, former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, and Neil Magny across a four-fight winning streak. Losses to Vicente Luque, Sean Brady and Kevin Holland tested his standing, but he closed his career on a high note — a first-round rear-naked choke of Tony Ferguson in 2024, a submission of Max Griffin, a decision over Court McGee, and a 2026 rear-naked choke of Niko Price.

Fighting style

Chiesa is a quintessential submission grappler. With 13 of his 20 wins coming by submission — and none by knockout — he leans on length, scrambling and chain-grappling to drag fights to the floor, where his rear-naked choke is among the most reliable in the division. His wrestling and top control set up a high-percentage back take, and his durability let him grind through five-round fights. The honest caveats are clear in his record: he absorbed several submission losses himself when caught on the wrong end of grappling exchanges, and as a non-knockout fighter he had to win the positional battle to win the fight.

Career highlights

The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 winner — submitted Al Iaquinta in the finale just days after his father's death to claim his UFC contract.
Welterweight resurgence — rebuilt his career with a four-fight win streak that included a kimura finish of former interim champion Carlos Condit and a decision over Rafael dos Anjos.
Elite submission finisher — 13 of his 20 career wins came by submission, anchored by one of the most dependable rear-naked chokes in the UFC.

Career snapshot

Michael Chiesa career snapshot

Recent form W-W-W-W-L Latest 5 decisive tracked pro results

Current run 4-fight winning streak Most recent tracked result: Win vs Niko Price

Finish profile 65% 13 finishes in 20 recorded wins

Primary win path submission 13 recorded wins by submission

Michael Chiesa quick answers

What is Michael Chiesa's record?

Michael Chiesa's professional MMA record is 20-7-0.

How old is Michael Chiesa?

Michael Chiesa is 38 years old.

What weight class is Michael Chiesa?

Michael Chiesa fights at Welterweight in UFC.

How tall is Michael Chiesa?

Michael Chiesa is 6'1" tall with a 75" reach.

How much does Michael Chiesa weigh?

Michael Chiesa competes at Welterweight, with a most recent weigh-in of 170 lbs.

What is Michael Chiesa's Combat Edge Elo?

Michael Chiesa's Combat Edge Elo is 1758, with a peak Elo of 1758.

When was Michael Chiesa's last fight?

Michael Chiesa's latest tracked pro fight was against Niko Price at UFC Fight Night on Mar 28 2026.

What is Michael Chiesa's recent form?

Michael Chiesa's recent tracked pro form is W-W-W-W-L over the latest 5 decisive pro results.

How does Michael Chiesa usually win?

Michael Chiesa's 20 recorded wins include 0 knockouts, 13 submissions, and 7 decisions, with 65% ending before the final bell.

0 Wins by knockout

13 Wins by submission

7 Wins by decision

1 Loss by knockout

5 Loss by submission

1 Loss by decision

Michael Chiesa stats

Record : 20 / 7 / 0

Significant strikes landed per minute

2.03Fighter 2.98Division average

Significant striking accuracy

41%Fighter 44%Division average

Significant strikes absorbed per minute

1.73Fighter 3.83Division average

Significant strike defenseThe % of opponents strikes that did not land

58%Fighter 52%Division average

Average takedowns landed per 15 minutes

3.05Fighter 1.38Division average

Takedown accuracy

48%Fighter 38%Division average

Takedown defenseThe % of opponents TD attempts that did not land

68%Fighter 51%Division average

Average submissions attempted per 15 minutes

0.97Fighter 0.63Division average

Pro fight history

Result Opponent Method Time Round Event Date Fight details

Win19-7 Niko Price 16-10 Submission (Rear naked choke) 1:03 R1 UFC Fight Night Mar 28 2026 View details

Cancelled20-7-0 Carlston Harris Record TBD Cancelled Bout Not recorded Not recorded UFC Fight Night Mar 28 2026 Details unavailable

Win18-7 Court McGee 22-13 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R3 UFC Fight Night Jun 14 2025 View details

Win17-7 +18 Elo Max Griffin 20-10 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:56 R3 UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura Dec 7 2024 View details

Win16-7 +18 Elo Tony Ferguson 25-10 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 3:44 R1 UFC Fight Night Aug 3 2024 View details

Loss16-6 -19 Elo Kevin Holland 24-9 Submission (D'arce Choke) 2:39 R1 UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 Jul 29 2023 View details

Cancelled20-7-0 Jingliang Li Record TBD Cancelled Bout Not recorded Not recorded UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 Apr 8 2023 Details unavailable

Loss16-5 -15 Elo Sean Brady 14-0 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R3 UFC Fight Night Nov 20 2021 View details

Loss16-4 -20 Elo Vicente Luque 20-7-1 Submission (D'arce Choke) 3:25 R1 UFC 265: Lewis vs. Gane Aug 7 2021 View details

Win15-4 +18 Elo Neil Magny 24-7 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R5 UFC Fight Night Jan 20 2021 View details

Cancelled20-7-0 Brent Primus Record TBD Cancelled Bout Grappling Not recorded Not recorded Submission Underground 14 May 31 2020 Details unavailable

Win14-4 +17 Elo Rafael dos Anjos 29-12 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R3 UFC on ESPN+ 24 Jan 25 2020 View details

Win13-4 +16 Elo Diego Sanchez 29-11 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R3 UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos Jul 6 2019 View details

Win12-4 Carlos Condit 30-12 Submission (Kimura) 0:56 R2 UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafsson 2 Dec 29 2018 View details

Loss12-3 Anthony Pettis 20-7 Submission (Triangle Armbar) 0:52 R2 UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier Jul 7 2018 View details

Cancelled20-7-0 Anthony Pettis Record TBD Cancelled Bout Not recorded Not recorded UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta Apr 7 2018 Details unavailable

Loss12-2 Kevin Lee 15-2 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 4:37 R1 UFC Fight Night 112 Jun 25 2017 Details unavailable

Cancelled20-7-0 Tony Ferguson Record TBD Cancelled Bout Not recorded Not recorded UFC Fight Night 91 Jul 13 2016 Details unavailable

Win11-2 Beneil Dariush 12-1 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:20 R2 UFC on FOX 19 Apr 16 2016 Details unavailable

Win10-2 Jim Miller 25-6 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 2:57 R2 UFC Fight Night 80 Dec 10 2015 View details

Win9-2 Mitch Clarke 11-2 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R3 UFC Fight Night 63 Apr 4 2015 View details

Loss9-1 Joe Lauzon 23-9 Cut 2:14 R2 UFC Fight Night 50 Sep 5 2014 View details

Win8-1 Francisco Trinaldo 14-3 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R3 UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw May 24 2014 View details

Win7-1 Colton Smith 3-2 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:41 R2 UFC Fight Night 31 Nov 6 2013 View details

Loss7-0 Jorge Masvidal 24-7 Submission (D'arce Choke) 4:59 R2 UFC on FOX 8 Jul 27 2013 View details

Cancelled20-7-0 Reza Madadi Record TBD Cancelled Bout Not recorded Not recorded UFC on FOX 8 Jul 27 2013 Details unavailable

Win6-0 Anton Kuivanen 17-5 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 2:29 R2 UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche Feb 23 2013 View details

Cancelled20-7-0 Marcus LeVesseur Record TBD Cancelled Bout Not recorded Not recorded UFC on FOX 5 Dec 8 2012 Details unavailable

Cancelled20-7-0 Rafaello Oliveira Record TBD Cancelled Bout Not recorded Not recorded UFC on FOX 5 Dec 8 2012 Details unavailable

Win5-0 Al Iaquinta 5-1-1 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 2:47 R1 The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale Jun 1 2012 Details unavailable

Win20-7-0 James Vick Record TBD KO/TKO Exhibition MMA 1:55 R2 The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 May 25 2012 Details unavailable

Win20-7-0 Justin Lawrence Record TBD KO/TKO Exhibition MMA 1:02 R3 The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 May 11 2012 Details unavailable

Win20-7-0 Jeremy Larsen Record TBD Decision (Unanimous) Exhibition MMA 5:00 R2 The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 Apr 6 2012 Details unavailable

Win20-7-0 Johnavan Vistante Record TBD Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Exhibition MMA 2:05 R1 The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 Mar 9 2012 Details unavailable

Win4-0 Darrell Fenner 4-4 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 0:45 R1 CageSport 16 Oct 1 2011 Details unavailable

Win3-0 Matt Coble 4-4 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 2:13 R1 LOTC 13: Battle At The Bay Jul 16 2011 Details unavailable

Win2-0 Evian Rodriguez 0-2 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:03 R1 LOTC 11: Conquest Of The Cage Apr 28 2011 Details unavailable

Win1-0 Darcy James 4-3 Submission (Brabo Choke) 1:36 R1 BFL 7: Invasion Mar 25 2011 Details unavailable

Win0-0 Andy Paves 0-0 Decision (Unanimous) 5:00 R3 Rumble on the Ridge 14 Oct 30 2010 Details unavailable

Amateur fight history

Result Opponent Method Time Round Event Date Fight details

Win20-7-0 Ryan Mulvihill Record TBD Submission Grappling Not recorded Not recorded Spokane Invitational 2010 May 8 2010 Details unavailable

Win6-1 Josh Busby 0-1 Submission (Triangle Choke) 3:00 R2 Thunder and Lightning 6 Mar 20 2010 Details unavailable

Win5-1 Marc Forsyth 5-5 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:09 R2 Northwest Fight Challenge 8 Nov 7 2009 Details unavailable

Win4-1 Sean Johnson 2-1 Submission (Armbar) 3:00 R1 ExciteFight Oct 24 2009 Details unavailable

Win3-1 Charlie Schultz 5-1 Submission (Rear Naked Choke) N/A R1 Conquest of the Cage 6 Sep 16 2009 Details unavailable

Win2-1 Dean Brim 0-1 Decision (Unanimous) 3:00 R3 ExciteFight May 9 2009 Details unavailable

Win1-1 Brian Wilson 0-0 Decision (Unanimous) 3:00 R3 Royal Beatdown 1 Feb 21 2009 Details unavailable

Win0-1 Charon Spain 0-0 Submission (Triangle Choke) N/A R2 Thunder And Lightning 1 Aug 16 2008 Details unavailable

Loss0-0 Marc Forsyth 3-4 Submission (Armbar) 1:07 R1 SportFight 23 Jun 20 2008 Details unavailable

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