Michael Chiesa 'Game' For Mid-Fight Talk With 'Big Mouth' Kevin Holland At UFC 291

Although perhaps somewhat overshadowed by the major names and stakes towards the top of this weekend's UFC 291 pay-per-view lineup, welterweight veteran Michael Chiesa is set to make a long-awaited return.

Chiesa, who currently occupies the #12 spot in the 170-pound rankings, will open the main card on Saturday night alongside the always entertaining Kevin Holland. The pair are part of a stacked event that will go down inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

While "Trailblazer" will enter the contest after a victory to start his 2023 campaign in April, as well as an active 2022, the same can't be said for "Maverick." The 35-year-old Colorado native hasn't been seen in the Octagon since a decision loss to Sean Brady in November 2021.

And having fallen to a D'Arce choke at the hands of Vicente Luque three months prior, Chiesa will make his comeback in need of a victory in Utah.

That's a fact that Holland could well remind him of mid-fight...

Chiesa 'Well Aware' Of Holland's Chatter, Ready To Chit Back

Throughout his ongoing career on MMA's biggest stage, Holland has gained a reputation for not only some flashy finishes and thrilling victories, but also some hilarious and often bizarre mid-fight trash talk. 

During a recent appearance on ESPN MMA's DC & RC show, Chiesa acknowledged the talking ways of his upcoming opponent, who is aptly nicknamed "Big Mouth." More than that, though, "Maverick" even welcomed a two-way conversation inside the Octagon.

"Me, I'm a pretty game fighter. So, don't be surprised if I start talking back to him in there," Chiesa said. "I was having a sparring session back home and Chase Hooper was in town training, Chase 'The Teenage Dream' Hooper. Out of nowhere he goes, 'Let's go motherf*cker,' and starts talking crap to me. I was like, 'Hooper!'

"But, look, I know what Kevin brings to the table, bro. I've been watching him a long time," Chiesa continued. "I'm a game fighter myself. So, if he starts talking, don't surprised if I start talking back. It's just part of his game and I'm very well aware of it,"

From alerting Thiago Santos to the power in his hands as the Brazilian pummeled him from top position back in 2018 to asking Santiago Ponzinibbio if he could "smell weed" in his most recent outing, Holland's highlights go beyond just those which he brings on with his physical actions.

With that said, we can likely count on some more verbal inside the cage this Saturday in Salt Lake City.