Michael Chiesa has one major regret as he is gearing up for his final UFC appearance at UFC Seattle on Saturday night. The veteran welterweight recently revealed that a simple seating change cost him a potential title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.
Chiesa is set to face Niko Price at the Climate Pledge Arena in what marks his retirement bout after more than a decade in the octagon. The Washington native gets a fitting homecoming as he looks to end his career on his own terms.
The Seat Swap That Changed Everything
The regret stems from the chaotic UFC 223 fight week in April 2018. Chiesa was originally scheduled to face Anthony Pettis on that card, but the event became one of the most turbulent in UFC history.
Max Holloway was initially set to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title after stepping in for an injured Tony Ferguson. However, Holloway was later pulled from the fight, forcing the UFC to scramble for alternatives.
As per Chiesa, he had an opportunity to face Nurmagomedov for the title but made a decision that ultimately cost him. Chiesa says swapping seats with Calvin Kattar prevented him from getting the late-notice title fight against "The Eagle."
If there’s one thing I could change, I wish that I would have given Calvin Kattar that front seat because I would have fought Khabib and that’s literally what it boiled down to,” he told Full Send MMA. “Calvin Kattar was sitting in the front and I was getting on the bus looking kind of rough.
“I was like five pounds over when I was cutting to 155 and Calvin’s like, ‘Oh, you can take my seat’ and I sat in the window and my coach sat next to me and then everything happened.
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The UFC eventually settled on Al Iaquinta as Nurmagomedov's opponent, with Iaquinta losing via unanimous decision. Nurmagomedov would go on to successfully defend the lightweight title multiple times before retiring undefeated.
Final Fight Preparations
Chiesa's original opponent for UFC Seattle withdrew due to visa issues, putting his retirement fight in jeopardy. Price stepped in as a replacement, allowing Chiesa to compete in front of his hometown crowd.
I knew but I just wasn't sure. I kind of wanted to wait for the UFC to announce it," Chiesa told reporters on Wednesday. "With everything that we talked about with the Seattle curse for me, I'm just going to wait until they announce it so I don't get ahead of myself.
The card carries additional significance as fellow UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney is also competing. Chiesa noted it had been eight days from when he learned Carlston Harris was out until Price was confirmed as his opponent.
At 19-7 in his professional career, Chiesa has established himself as a consistent presence in the welterweight division. His retirement bout represents the end of an era for the "Maverick," who has been a fixture in the UFC since his days on The Ultimate Fighter.
