“With Masvidal, I dropped him and it's the first time I'd ever dropped anyone in my life. I kind of started to turn the corner after that, and it was just a realization that if my hands were a weakness, it was only because I didn't believe in them. I had the talent to do it.”

American former professional mixed martial artist and sports analyst

Michael Keith Chiesa is an American former professional mixed martial artist and sports analyst. He competed in the UFC’s welterweight division and was active as a professional from 2008 to 2026. He is best known for winning the inaugural season of FX’s The Ultimate Fighter: Live. Chiesa built his reputation in mixed martial arts through his UFC career, where he fought at welterweight after emerging from The Ultimate Fighter. He also works as a sports analyst, and his public profile is tied mainly to his time in the octagon and his later commentary on the sport.