Michael Chiesa submits Beneil Dariush, calls out Tony Ferguson
Michael Chiesa has been begging for a shot at a top-10 opponent and he made the most of the opportunity by tapping out No. 7-ranked Beneil Dariush in the featured prelim at UFC on FOX Fight Night in Tampa.
Chiesa was a winner of two fights in a row going into Saturday night, but Dariush seemed like a big step up in competition for the former "Ultimate Fighter" winner.
Dariush had made a steady rise up the division, and he started the fight showing why he was ranked so high after he punished Chiesa with a series of blistering leg kicks.
Chiesa struggled to deal with Dariush on the feet as he ate a series of combinations and his lead leg was chewed up by the end of the round.
The second round saw a dramatic shift with Chiesa engaging a takedown to put Dariush on the mat. Considering Dariush is a world class grappler with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt it seemed like that might be a bad idea, but Chiesa quickly proved otherwise.
What a finish! @MikeMav22 submits Beneil Dariush with a nasty rear naked choke! #UFCTampa https://t.co/otR372WLgy
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 16, 2016
Chiesa quickly passed Dariush's defense and locked his legs around the back and began fishing for a rear naked choke.
Dariush was able to stand up with Chiesa latched onto his back but that was the beginning of the end as the Washington native slipped his arm around the chin and wrenched up on the hold as tight as he could.
Chiesa squeezed Dariush's head more than applying an actual choke, but the pressure was so much that the tap out came at 1:20 into the second round.
Following his third straight win, Chiesa made the most of his time on the microphone as he called out Tony Ferguson, who was supposed to compete on Saturday night but he was forced off the card due to injury.
"Tony Ferguson, you and me buddy, main event, let's do it," Chiesa said.
Whether or not Chiesa will get his wish remains to be seen, but he's certainly cemented himself as a top 10 lightweight following his latest win.
