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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Shadle Park graduate Michael Chiesa expects ‘toughest test to date’ at UFC Fight Night 166

Michael Chiesa, right, celebrates his win over Carlos Condit in a welterweight Mixed Martial Arts bout at UFC 232, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif. (Kyusung Gong / AP)

Shadle Park graduate and budding UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa posted a picture Wednesday night from the mat room of North Carolina State University, his Spokane-based training team in tow.

He’s smiling after a workout with trainer Rick Little, sparring partner and Mt. Spokane graduate Sam Sicilia and others. Mike Macchiavello, who won a 2018 NCAA 197-pound wrestling championship for North Carolina State, is also shirtless in the group.

“The hay is in the barn, nothing left to do except make weight and fight,” Chiesa (16-4, 9-4 UFC) wrote leading up to Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 166 co-main event against Rafael dos Andjos (20-12, 18-10 UFC) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Making weight isn’t the physically taxing pursuit it used to be for Chiesa, who made the jump from lightweight in 2018.

Chiesa said his normal, nonfighting weight is 200 pounds, so cutting down to 155 during previous training camps was also mentally draining and taking the focus away from his skills and fight preparation.

Aiming for the 170-pound welterweight limit is a lot more manageable for the 32-year-old Chiesa.

“It’s nice to focus on my skills, and it’s nice to feel good,” Chiesa said.

Chiesa is unranked in his division but is 2-0 since bumping up a class. He made his welterweight debut at UFC 232 against Carlos Condit, winning by submission. Chiesa then won a unanimous decision against Diego Sanchez last summer at UFC 239.

His fight Saturday on ESPN+ will be his toughest yet, Chiesa said.

Dos Andjos, a 35-year-old Brazilian, is the No. 5 welterweight in the world. He has lost three of his last four fights, including a UFC Welterweight Championship bout against Colby Covington.

“Out of everyone I’ve fought in the UFC, this is the toughest test to date,” Chiesa said. “He’s a former world champion, fought for a belt at 170 and is still relevant.

“It’s going to be a back-and-forth fight, but I’m confident I will get my hand raised.”

Chiesa lost his final two fights as a lightweight to Kevin Lee and Anthony Pettis. The Pettis loss followed a failure to make weight, inspiring his permanent move to welterweight.

Dos Anjos, who is also formerly a lightweight fighter, beat Lee via submission last summer.

“This is a guy that’s still in his groove, but I’ve got to go out there and derail him,” Chiesa said. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to compete against him, but I’ve got to get my hand raised on Saturday night.”

Dos Anjos said he knows what to expect from Chiesa.

“He’s going to try to tie me up and work his body lock like he always does in his fights,” dos Anjos said. “Of course, it’s a fight. It starts standing, so I’ve got to make sure I don’t get caught with any shots, open my eyes and see everything and bring my A game.”