Michael Chiesa is on the cusp of UFC title contendership at welterweight, and he has his sights set on a matchup against one of the division’s top names.

And that means the recent callout by rising prospect Geoff Neal is one that “Maverick” would respectfully decline.

Chiesa (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) thinks his lengthy UFC tenure, coupled with his performances to date, warrant a crack at the division’s best in his next fight rather than a tricky matchup against a hard-hitting up-and-comer.

“I keep hearing about Geoff, and that’s fine, you know what I mean? But here’s the thing, man. I respect the skills. The dude is tough as (expletive), he’s on a tear,” Chiesa told MMA Junkie. “I saw his fight on the ‘Contender Series,’ and I was like, ‘That dude, you could fast-track him. He’s top-10 talent.’ So real recognize real.

“That doesn’t mean that I don’t think I can beat him up. But for me, I’ve put my time in this sport, I’ve been in the UFC eight years this March, and I’m not asking for a title fight or something, but I’ve earned my spot.”

Chiesa has looked superb since leaving the lightweight division, and his tricky weight cut, behind. At 170 pounds he has picked up a hat trick of victories over former interim champion Carlos Condit, Diego Sanchez and former UFC lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos.

His win over dos Anjos last month was a pivotal moment for the American, as he firmly established himself as a legitimate threat to the division’s best. Chiesa acknowledged the similarities in his position against dos Anjos compared to Neal’s position with him. But he said the big difference was the fact that the higher-ranked guy at the time (dos Anjos) asked for the fight, rather than the other way around.

“RDA asked for that fight with me to get me in the position I’m in now. That’s not my fault. He asked for it, I took it. Who wouldn’t?” Chiesa said. “But now it’s eight years in the sport, I’m back in the mix. I’m only looking really ahead of me.”

That limits the potential list of opponents for Chiesa, whose aim is to eventually position himself for a title shot. He has his eye on a few different permutations, with Colby Covington, Demian Maia and Gilbert Burns all potential matchups he’d be interested in.

“I don’t want to fight ‘Wonderboy.’ I like him, but he’s ahead of me,” Chiesa admitted. “My sights are still set on Colby, (but) who knows what he’s going to do. There’s the Maia-Burns (fight), whoever wins out of that. I’m looking up there, and it’s because I reserve the right.

“I’d like to think July sounds good. But they keep talking about this UFC Seattle show, and I’d like to find out the date on that, because that would be cool to fight in my home state, especially when there’s a good chance I’d get a main event spot.”

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