-
Brett Okamoto
Veteran UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa intends to retire from mixed martial arts, following his bout against Carlston Harris at UFC Fight Night on March 28 in Seattle.
Chiesa (19-7), who fights out of Spokane, announced his decision on «The Anik and Florian Podcast.» The 38-year-old hasn’t fought since June 2025, and had told ESPN earlier this year he was hoping to return to action in his home state. He has not fought in Washington since a submission loss to Jorge Masvidal in 2013 in Seattle, in what was his third UFC appearance.
«This is my last fight,» Chiesa said on Monday. «I’ve been kind of on the fence about it. It’s a hard decision to make. I had my first fight when I was 20 years old in 2008. I wanted to fight out this contract — I just signed a new deal before [my last bout]. I [was] going to fight out this deal, then done … But when they said they’re going back to Seattle — it’s my 22nd UFC fight, 22 is my number and March 28 is my parents’ anniversary. It’s like the universe is telling me something.»
Chiesa broke into the UFC as a winner of The Ultimate Fighter reality series in 2012. He built himself into a potential title contender at lightweight, but eventually struggled to make the 155-pound limit. He has faced some of the top competitors of his generation across two weight classes, including Masvidal, Beneil Dariush, Anthony Pettis, Carlos Condit, Rafael dos Anjos and Tony Ferguson, among others. He is currently riding a three-fight win streak.
Harris (19-7) is a 38-year-old veteran fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, who will be looking to snap a two-fight skid.
