SALT LAKE CITY – Michael Chiesa took Daniel Cormier’s advice and opted against back surgery.
Chiesa (16-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) hasn’t competed since a decision loss to Sean Brady in November 2021 – his second straight setback after he was submitted by Vicente Luque at UFC 265. Prior to the back-to-back losses, Chiesa was on a four-fight winning streak in his return to welterweight.
The Season 15 “Ultimate Fighter” winner has been dealing with back issues ever since, but never went under the knife like Cormier did to avoid hampering his career moving forward.
“It’s no secret I’ve had back issues,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 291 media day. “I almost had to have back surgery in 2016. Then the problem resurfaced again. I promised my then-fiancee, now wife, that after I fought Luque, I said, ‘Hey, we’ll take time to plan the wedding,’ and then things didn’t go my way and I told her I can’t marinate on a loss, I’ve got to get back in there.
“So I promised her after Sean Brady that I would take time off and then things panned out that fight, and then in my head I was like, ‘I might just have to sneak one more in.’ So, I started picking up the training and herniated a disk in my back really bad. Surgery was on the table again, and it was DC that told me, ‘Don’t get the surgery if you’re still going to compete,’ because after he had the procedure after the Lewis fight, he said he couldn’t train the same. and I’m not done.”
Chiesa returns against Kevin Holland (24-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 291 main card opener at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
After almost two years away from the octagon, Chiesa says he’s had to make adjustments in his training, but feels healthy now.
“Fortunately, we were able to get past it. We found ways to really modify my strength and conditioning so I wouldn’t have any more back issues. I feel great,” Chiesa said. “It’s been a really good camp. I’m really excited to compete again, and it’s just good to be back.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.
