LAS VEGAS – Diego Sanchez isn’t the first winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” that Michael Chiesa has faced, but he’s the most special. Chiesa (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), the winner of Season 15, has already beaten the winner of the following season, Colton Smith. But he calls Sanchez (29-11 MMA, 18-11 UFC), the original “TUF” winner, an “ageless wonder” that could help him step up his career in the welterweight division. “I think the UFC doesn’t want to push me into the rankings, and I’ve just got to go and make a statement, and that’s not going to be easy,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie in advance of his pay-per-view opener on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Chiesa and Sanchez both migrated from the lightweight division to make their trip to the octagon a little bit easier.
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