Michael Chiesa Reveals How Griffin vs. Bonnar Sparked His Interest in MMA

Michael Chiesa reflected on his UFC fandom and credited Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar for sparking his interest in MMA. Chiesa credited the legendary clash for making the UFC must-see.

Griffin and Bonnar faced each other in The Ultimate Fighter season one finale. They competed in the light heavyweight final, which aired live on SpikeTV.

Griffin vs. Bonnar is still widely regarded as one of the greatest fights in MMA history. The two gave it their all in hopes of earning a UFC contract. Griffin earned the decision, but Dana White still rewarded Bonnar with a UFC contact.

The fight, as well as the inaugural season of TUF, is credited as being a major turning point. It helped secure the UFC’s first broadcast rights deal with SpikeTV.

Michael Chiesa Reveals How Griffin vs. Bonnar Sparked His Interest in MMA

Michael Chiesa, 38, looked back fondly at that period when he instantly became hooked on the sport. ‘Maverick’ recalled the buzz among his friends at school when The Ultimate Fighter aired.

“I remember going to school and my friends kept talking about this Ultimate Fighter reality show. And then one of my high school friends called me and he’s like, ‘You gotta turn to SpikeTV. These guys are beating the crap out of each other.’ It was the Forrest Griffin–Stephan Bonnar fight. It really had that effect like, it’s not an exaggeration when we talk about it. A lot of new fans don’t understand what that was like to live in that period of time as an MMA fan,” Chiesa exclusively told Heavy Sports via The Game Plan.

“I tuned into SpikeTV and I’m watching Forrest and Stephan get after it. And then I was like, ‘Wow, this show is awesome,’” he said. “So then, I’m watching The Ultimate Fighter season two religiously.”

Chiesa also revealed that The Ultimate Fighter ultimately led to him becoming an MMA fighter.

“[Michael] Bisping goes on to win [his season]. And then, I’m like, ‘Someday I’m going to get that glass trophy. Someday I’m going on this reality show and I’m going to win.”

‘Maverick’ did just that as he went on to earn a UFC contract after winning season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Chiesa Reveals His First Introduction to the UFC

Chiesa also revealed that his first introduction to MMA was watching UFC 1 on VHS. The event was a one-night-only tournament and featured fighters from different backgrounds looking to prove who had the superior fighting style.

UFC 1 remains remembered for Royce Gracie submitting all three opponents despite his smaller size. Chiesa said he was inspired after watching the UFC Hall of Famer succeed.

“I remember watching Royce [Gracie]. And I just remember, I was a really scrawny, frail, fragile kid growing up. I came from kind of really troubled home life. And I just remember seeing this skinny guy in a karate outfit fighting these monsters like Kimo [Leopoldo] and Ken Shamrock, and I’m like, ‘I want to be like that guy,’” Chiesa exclusively told Heavy Sports via The Game Plan. “I can kind of relate to this guy that I’m seeing. But I want to be like him. I want to be the scrawny guy that’s able to take on these big dudes.”

Giancarlo Aulino Giancarlo Aulino is sports writer who covers UFC for Heavy.com. He began writing for Heavy in 2025 after providing MMA coverage for Sportskeeda. Giancarlo is an experienced journalist and interviewer, having covered soccer clubs Toronto FC and Inter Toronto FC as a full-season reporter, and also producing sports coverage for Toronto radio station VIBE 105.5FM.
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