Michael Chiesa Retires After Submitting Niko Price at UFC Seattle

At UFC Seattle on Saturday night, welterweight veteran Michael Chiesa submitted fellow fighter Niko Price in the first round, capping his 14-year career with a triumphant performance in front of his hometown crowd at Climate Pledge Arena. Both men announced their retirements following the bout, though Chiesa received an emotional sendoff complete with a tribute video and on-stage speech, while Price was denied a similar moment despite promises from officials.

Chiesa, a Seattle native, ended his UFC tenure on a four-fight win streak, including victories over Beneil Dariush, Diego Sanchez, Jim Miller and Carlos Condit. In a recent interview, he revealed that his decision stemmed from a shift in mindset during a fight against Court McGee last summer. "It was the first time in my life that I held myself back from pulling the trigger and going hard," Chiesa said. "And it was out of fear. I was scared of getting hurt and losing." He kept the feeling private initially but recognized it as a sign after hearing similar reflections from Dustin Poirier, who retired following a loss to Justin Gaethje earlier this year. Poirier described hesitating in his final bout due to concerns over...