No. 8-ranked UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa was the picture of dominance in his fight with the division’s No. 9-contender, Neil Magny.

Chiesa and Magny met in the main event of UFC Fight Island 8, which emanated from Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday morning and afternoon.

Despite entering the cage as a slight underdog, Chiesa could not have looked much better as the action unfolded. Over the course of the fight’s five rounds, the grappling specialist secured four takedowns, and racked up more than fifteen minutes of control time to lock up a solid unanimous decision win.

In the wake of his win, he also made the most of his post-fight interview Daniel Cormier by issuing a sizzling callout of No. 1-ranked welterweight contender Colby Covington.

https://twitter.com/btsportufc/status/1351991827830894598

“The election is over,” Chiesa said, referencing Covington’s affiliation with outgoing United States President Donald Trump.  “Colby Covington, your schtick is done, I want you next!”

While it remains to be seen whether Covington will accept this fight, Michael Chiesa is undoubtedly one of the top contenders in the UFC welterweight division. With his win over Magny, he’s now 4-0 since moving to the division after a lengthy stint at lightweight.

Chiesa began is time as a welterweight by defeating the division’s former interim champion, Carlos Condit, by second-round submission. Next up, he picked up a lopsided decision win over The Ultimate Fighter season one winner Diego Sanchez. He then burst into title contention with an impressive decision defeat over former lightweight champion and interim title challenger Rafael dos Anjos. He’s now a fantastic 18-4 as a professional mixed martial artist.

Neil Magny, on the other hand, falls to 24-8 overall. He’s now back in the loss column after a trio of wins over Li Jingliang, Anthony Rocco Martin and Robbie Lawler.

What do you think is next for Michael Chiesa after UFC Fight Island 8?