MICHAEL CHIESA

I've won five bonuses in my nine fight UFC career.

I had my sights set on Tony Ferguson for a long time.

I believe I'm destined to be a world champion and I'm getting closer to what I want. Part of it is developing a championship mentality and I feel I have that now.

When I first got into the sport it was all about who could cut the most weight, who could be the biggest on fight night. That's the same era when you're sparring 10 five minute rounds, new partner every two and a half minutes, that era of just really hard weight cutting and really hard full contact training.

Anytime I've won a fight and asked for an opponent, I've usually gotten it, and that's because it's all well thought-out.

I don't classify myself as a wrestler, I'm a grappler.

I don't take a guy down just to hold him, I look for damage and submissions.

I'm letting my coaches take the reins more. Letting them make the decisions on what's going to be a hard practice, what's not going to be a hard practice and also this weight cutting thing. It's the best decision I've made in my entire career.

Dumb and tough goes a long way in this sport but to be elite, you've got to be smarter.

I'm a big guy; people don't realize that.

I finish every fight. And if I don't finish and go to a decision, I win 10-8 rounds. How many guys do you know in the lightweight division who've had fights where they have gotten two 10-8 rounds scored? Think about it. I'm a winner.

I'm not a small guy. I can get up to 205 pounds and be athletic and be in shape.

The loss of my dad gave me a lot of inspiration because sometimes I stop and think, 'Would everybody have done the same thing that I did?' It was a very tough thing to cope with. I only went home for less than 24 hours.

I've always loved the fight with Khabib.

I found wrestling when I was 11 years old. About two years later, I convinced my mom to let me rent my first UFC tape. I was fascinated by the sport.

I've had a mullet the better half of my whole life.

My father worked very hard and he never missed a day of work, no matter how sick he was.

Going to fight Gilbert Burns while not training jiu-jitsu, I mean, that's just stupid.

I'm just looking forward to a great fight and just to keep making my dad proud.

I just don't throw things against the wall that aren't gonna stick.

I think Gilbert Burns is going to become my greatest rival.

I'm the type of guy where I feel like if you throw me in against the guy that's gonna be my hardest match-up, I think that's gonna bring out the best in me, and I know that the best of me can beat anybody on any given day to become the world champion.

The beard has gotta stay. That's my staple. I can't get rid of it.

If you look at my fights, you see I finish a lot. It's just how I like to go and I'm always looking for a way to end it.

Give Tony Ferguson a title fight. He needs it!