There was a quick moment on the opening episode of The Ultimate Fighter this season where Michael Chiesa expressed how much it meant to him to be serving as an assistant coach for Team Cormier and coming back to the show that has profoundly impacted his life.
Chiesa competed on The Ultimate Fighter: Live, the one – and only - live season of the long-running reality TV competition, winning the show’s lightweight tournament. It was the launching point for a career that has now spanned 13 years and 20 appearances inside the Octagon, with the 21st coming this weekend opposite fellow TUF winner Court McGee.