Shadle Park grad Michael Chiesa set to fight on his birthday against Max Griffin in Las Vegas

Happy birthday, Michael Chiesa. Time to fight.

The Shadle Park graduate, who turns 37 on Saturday, gets to do what he loves on his birthday: scrap.

Chiesa (19-7) is set to fight Max Griffin (20-10) Saturday in Las Vegas.

The fight comes after Chiesa retired UFC veteran Tony Ferguson in August – a fight that had been in the works since 2016.

“I was happy with the way the fight went,” Chiesa said.

“It was kind of a swing fight for me because … it might have been my last one, but things went really well for me and really, just gave me the confidence that I’m going to be fighting for the foreseeable future.”

Four months later, Chiesa is ready to step back into the cage against another UFC veteran.

“I think (Griffin) is a total stud,” Chiesa said, mentioning that they’ve trained together in the past.

“It’s just one of those instances where you put the friendship aside, and you get out there and scrap, and may the best man win.”

A striker-heavy fighter with nine wins by knockouts and nine decisions to his name, Griffin is a force to be reckoned with. That doesn’t bother Chiesa, who has been training to go the distance.

“I think (going the distance) is a good expectation to have,” Chiesa said. “You don’t want to be surprised getting off the stool from rounds two and three if you really anticipated the finish.”

Out of Chiesa’s 26 fights, seven have gone the distance. The majority of his fights have ended via submission.

“(Griffin is) going to be headhunting, looking for the knockout, and I’m going to be looking to snatch his neck,” Chiesa said. “It’s going to be a fun matchup.”

Standing 6-foot-1, Chiesa has the height advantage on 5-11 Griffin. Despite this, Griffin has a half-inch reach advantage and, according to UFC.com, a 4.3-pound weight advantage. Odds are stacked in favor of Griffin to win.

“I have the skill set to finish anybody on the planet,” Chiesa said. “But I anticipate a tough, 15-minute fight.”

To prepare for the throwdown, Chiesa has gone back to his roots to train with some old teammates – namely, former UFC featherweight Austin Arnett and former UFC and current Bellator featherweight Sam Sicilia.

“I feel like I do my best work when I (train) in Spokane,” Chiesa said.

A new addition to this fight camp was Chiesa’s shop – a haven in his backyard for additional training.

Set up with floor and wall mats, the home gym is a dream come true for the fighter known as “Maverick.”

“It’s been a lot of fun taking Camp Chiesa to the next level,” the welterweight said.

Split between the Sikjitsu garage and his shop, the UFC 310 training went beyond his own benefit.

As a UFC veteran, Chiesa has helped many Spokane fighters get to where they are now. He’s a wrestling coach for UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney and a training partner and mentor for UFC bantamweight Brady Hiestand and up-and-coming welterweight Ashton Charlton.

“I want to keep paving the way for (local fighters) so if they get their opportunity to fight in the big show, they can walk my line and have success,” Chiesa said.

“I’m not only trying to pave the way for Spokane fighters, but for fighters in the state of Washington as well.”

As the Ultimate Fighter Season 15 winner, a notable welterweight veteran and a sharp fight analyst, Chiesa has made inroads in his career that can be a roadmap for other up-and-coming fighters.

“I want to take this last chapter of my career as far as I can to keep paving a way for these young guys,” he said.

Chiesa’s legacy continues Saturday on the UFC 310: Pantone vs Asakura early prelims, Saturday at 3 p.m., live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight can be purchased via ESPN pay-per-view.