Michael Chiesa to fight Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night on Jan 20

A welterweight showdown between Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny is currently in the works for the upcoming UFC card on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi.

As per a report on Tuesday, Neil Magny and Michael Chiesa are in the works for the January 20 Fight Island card. The news was first reported by Brett Okamoto at ESPN. Before the bout was agreed on, Magny (24-7) called out Chiesa (16-4) twice after back-to-back victories inside the cage.

Per sources, Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) vs. Neil Magny (@NeilMagny) has been agreed to for the Jan. 20 Fight Island card. One of these two could presumably serve as a backup to that Edwards/Chimaev main event. pic.twitter.com/XHYGq3jsQX
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 22, 2020

Since moving to welterweight, Chiesa has gone undefeated with three consecutive wins over Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez, and Rafael dos Anjos. The former Ultimate Fighter winner hasn’t fought since January when he dispatched dos Anjos by unanimous decision. Similar to Magny’s standup game, Chiesa’s ground control puts a furious pace on the opponent as well. Besides, Chiesa is also on a three-fight win streak.

As for Magny, he’s also riding a three-fight win streak with a trio of bouts taking place during 2020. Magny started the year with a win over Li Jingliang followed by decision victories against Anthony Rocco Martin and former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.

A tough outing for any welterweight, Magny is a tricky athlete with great movement. Consequently, the 33-year old is on one of the best streaks in his career. With decisive wins over Jingliang Li, Anthony Rocco Martin, and former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, the “Haitian Sensation” has maintained a top position in the welterweight division. While most of his performances end in a decision, Magny has incredible control over how the pace of a fight plays out.

Following his win over Lawler, Magny was attempting to land a fight with highly-touted prospect Khamzat Chimaev but the fight never came together. Now it appears Neil will face Chiesa instead as part of three cards taking place from Jan. 16 to Jan. 23 in Abu Dhabi.

The Jan. 20 show will be headlined by a separate welterweight fight as Chimaev takes on Leon Edwards, who is currently riding an eight-fight win streak in the division.

Furthermore, it will serve as the second of a three-event stint at Fight Island starting January 16. Ultimately Fight Island will end with one of the biggest fights in recent memory as Conor McGregor returns against Dustin Poirier in a pivotal lightweight matchup at UFC 257.

With the addition, the UFC’s Jan. 20 lineup now includes: