Michael Chiesa becomes latest fighter to join UFC broadcast team

Following in the footsteps of fighters like Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans and Tyron Woodley, Michael Chiesa is the latest fighter to take on side-gig as a UFC analyst. The ninth-ranked UFC lightweight will make his analyst debut this weekend, as he will join the Fox Sports desk during the UFC’s Saturday night debut in Liverpool. Chiesa will be accompanied at the analyst’s desk by former middleweight champ Michael Bisping, UFC color commentator Jimmy Smith, and anchor Karyn Bryant.

This news was announced by Fox Sports on Monday.

Shortly after this news surfaced, Chiesa took to Twitter to share his excitement.

I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to give my input and test my knowledge of the sport while sitting alongside my peers who have won world championships. People that know me know how much this means to me and is something I have wanted for a long time. https://t.co/Li8ZuVHiVM

— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) May 22, 2018

“I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to give my input and test my knowledge of the sport while sitting alongside my peers who have won world championships,” he said in his Twitter post. “People that know me know how much this means to me and is something I have wanted for a long time.”

While Chiesa will have his hands full with his analyst duties this weekend, he’s also got a fight on the horizon, as he’s scheduled to battle former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis at the stacked UFC 226 this July 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This bout with Pettis was originally expected to occur at UFC 223 in April, but was rescheduled after Chiesa sustained injuries in Conor McGregor‘s infamous rampage.

This weekend’s UFC Liverpool card will be headlined by a welterweight contender showdown between two-time title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, and surging Liverpudlian Darren Till.

How do you think Michael Chiesa will perform as a member of the Fox Sports UFC analyst team?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/22/2018.