UFC Fight Night: Michael Chiesa vs Niko Price Preview & Prediction
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TUF Legend Michael "Maverick" Chiesa laces up the gloves one last time on home turf, as the veteran submissino artist looks to bow out on his terms against fellow welterweight Niko Price.
Michael Chiesa vs Niko Price facts
What time are Michael Chiesa and Niko Price expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer? Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 270
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer main card
Israel Adesanya vs Joe Pyfer (Middleweight)
Alexa Grasso vs Maycee Barber (Women’s Flyweight)
Michael Chiesa vs Niko Price (Welterweight)
Julian Erosa vs Lerryan Douglas (Featherweight)
Mansur Abdul Malik vs Yousri Belgaroui (Middleweight)
Terrance McKinney vs Kyle Nelson (Lightweight)
UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer prelims
Ignacio Bahamondes vs Tofiq Musayev (Lightweight)
Chase Hooper vs Lance Gibson Jr (Lightweight)
Marcin Tybura vs Tyrell Fortune (Heavyweight)
Casey ONeill vs Gabriella Fernandes (Women’s Flyweight)
Navajo Stirling vs Bruno Lopes (Light Heavyweight)
Ricky Simon vs Adrian Yanez (Bantamweight)
Alexia Thainara vs Bruna Brasil (Women’s Strawweight)
Michael Chiesa: "Maverick" looks to ride off into the sunset with one last submission
Michael Chiesa (19-7) has been a staple of the welterweight division for over a decade, winning The Ultimate Fighter in season 15 before building a respectable UFC career highlighted by wins over Jim Miller, Beneil Dariush, Rafael dos Anjos, and Neil Magny. Most recently the Coloradan has gone 3-0, with wins over retired UFC legend Tony Ferguson, Max Griffin, and Court McGee, to set the stage for this retirement fight on home soil. Chiesa has never been a flashy striker, his offence is largely used to set up takedowns. Once he gets an opponent to the floor, his BJJ black belt makes him a serious submission threat, with twelve of his nineteen wins coming from submission.
Niko Price: A UFC veteran running out of road
Niko Price (16-10) was once one of the more entertaining welterweights on the roster, collecting four Performance of the Night bonuses during his peak years with highlight-reel finishes over Tim Means and James Vick. That was a long time ago. "The Hybrid" has lost seven of his last nine, including back-to-back stoppages to Jacobe Smith via rear-naked and Nikolay Veretennikov via first-round TKO just last month. This begs the questions, what is he doing coming back this soon? And how is he still in the UFC? Price still works behind a rangy jab and mixes in leg kicks, but his hands have slowed considerably and his defensive awareness has deteriorated to the point where he's now being exploited at will.
Michael Chiesa vs Niko Price prediction
The UFC have handed Chiesa a retirement gift you'd expect, especially considering how he works on the desk for some events. Price is a faded opponent with a losing record who gives Chiesa every chance of going out with his hand raised. This fight has send-off written all over it, and it's hard to be too critical given that Price has beaten some decent names during his career and does at least bring some striking threat to the table.
That threat, however, seems minimal given what we've seen from Price recently. His slow, looping punches have always left him open on the way in, and Chiesa's game plan won't require anything particularly complicated here - stay active enough on the feet to set up his takedowns, find it, and transition to a submission. Price's grappling has already been exposed to Jacobe Smith, who is nowhere near the BJJ pedigree that Chiesa carries. If Smith could transition to a rear naked, Chiesa, with considerably more experience, should find even more success once he drags this to the canvas.
Price will look to keep this standing and let his hands do the talking, but with the speed and chin concerns he's showing right now, it's difficult to see him causing any real trouble on the feet either. A clean, controlled submission victory feels like the most fitting farewell, and there's a chance that this will be the last fight in the UFC for both of them.
Prediction: Michael Chiesa to win by submission
