Chiesa (left) and Luque (image via UFC/YouTube)

By FCF Staff

After incurring a stunning, submission loss to Vicente Luque at UFC 265, Michael Chiesa released a statement, in which he commented on the defeat.

Chiesa found himself ensnared in a fight-ending D’arce choke in the opening round, after threatening with submission attempts of his own. Following the loss, Chiesa shared out the statement below.

Hats off to @VicenteLuqueMMA 👊🏼#visionquest pic.twitter.com/ppFvWgT6QB

— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) August 8, 2021

I want to jump out in front of this now. First and most importantly, congrats to @luquevicente, he’s a stone cold killer and a class act. I look forward to seeing what’s next for him. It was an honor sharing the octagon with him. To say I’m embarrassed is an understatement. Physically I was in the best shape of my life, mentally I was battling myself every single day. I put too much pressure on myself this fight and I cracked. Historically throughout my career, every time I have faced adversity and came up short, I’ve turned around and grown tremendously. A couple more wins and I’ll be back in the mix. The goal remains the same, my belief is still just as strong and I love every single person that supports me so much that it hurts.(transcript via MMA Junkie).

The 33-year-old Chiesa (18-5) had won four straight fights prior to facing Luque (21-7-1).