Michael Chiesa

By FCF Staff

Although Rafael dos Anjos has lost three of his last four fights, Michael Chiesa isn’t looking past the former lightweight champ as they get set to fight at UFC Raleigh.

Chiesa (16-5) has been booked to fight the accomplished fighter on Saturday, after recording consecutive wins over welterweights Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez. While talking about the upcoming match-up recently, Chiesa had this to say about dos Anjos (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“Yeah, this is the toughest one,” Chiesa said. “Out of anybody I fought in the UFC, this is the stiffest test I’ve fought to date. The proof is in the pudding. I mean, the guy is a former world champion, (he) fought for a belt at 170, and he’s still very relevant.”

“He beat Kevin Lee, and Kevin Lee is seven years younger than him, so for him to be at the age he’s at and still beating these young guys – I feel like the toughest guys to compete against are the guys that are at the veteran status that have seen it all and that are in their mid 30’s,” said Chiesa, who has gone 3-2 in his last 5 bouts. “This is a guy that’s still in his groove, but I’ve got to go out there and derail him. I’m really excited for the opportunity to compete against him but I’ve got to get my hand raised on Saturday night.”

Dos Anjos (30-12), meanwhile, is looking to get back on track after dropping a decision loss to Leon Edwards in July.