UFC 239: Chiesa vs Sanchez Preview and Pick

Christian Pina is a professional sports bettor and host of InsideVegas on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network as well as a contributor for CP Sports. He has provided a breakdown and pick for UFC 239.

Michael Chiesa (-350) Vs Diego Sanchez (+265)

I’m a huge fan of Diego Sanchez (31-11) – what MMA fan isn’t, right? I’m a fan for different reasons than most people, however. The ability to redefine one’s game at different stages of a career makes for longevity, for one, but more importantly, it shows they can win fights a variety of different ways.

Diego Sanchez’ time in the UFC looked to be over but he has since revamped his game by utilizing a wrestling-based attack en route to winning his last two fights, one as a very big underdog against Mickey Gall. He will look to employ the same style against Michael Chiesa (15-4). That’s because his wrestling and grappling skills haven’t declined the same way his striking has and this makes for a fun wrestling match.

Michael Chiesa is making his second fight at welterweight after an impressive submission victory over Carlos Condit. Impressive may be an understatement, though, and there’s a good chance Chiesa may be the better wrestler at this stage of his career than Sanchez. He’s certainly stronger and better on the feet, although that’s not saying a ton.

Range may be the key here for Chiesa when it comes to the standup in this fight, however long it stays there. He should be able to test what at this stage of Sanchez’s career is a glass chin, the latter having suffered his last three losses via knockout.

It’s obvious why Chiesa took this fight, as he’s trying to gain momentum at his new weight class. Back-to-back victories over Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez would be a definite resume builder – while they are nothing close to what they used to be, they are still names in the sport – prior to Chiesa moving up to top-15 opponents at welterweight.

Sanchez has been dangerous lately even in the current form and if Chiesa were to get caught in transition or chain wrestling, that could be disastrous not only in this fight but for his outlook at 170 pounds. The line is very high, but when forced to make a straight pick, I’ll go with the hungry up-and-coming Chiesa.