Michael Chiesa was so overcome with emotion after watching his teammate Julianna Pena deliver one of the biggest upsets in UFC history by defeating Amanda Nunes to win the bantamweight title that he decided that he had to jump into the Octagon to celebrate with her.
The only problem was that Chiesa was extremely drunk, and so as Dana White would late reveal, things didn’t exactly go according to plan.
“How do I say this without embarrassing the guy?” UFC President Dana White wondered aloud at the post-fight presser when asked about the current UFC fighter and analyst’s antics.
“He had a little bit too much to drink this evening and when she won, he freaked out and tried to jump into the octagon and fell down on his face.
“He cut his eye and busted his eye open, then he was arguing with the police that he needed to get into the octagon and be with her, because that’s his teammate.
“They got him outside and calmed him down in the back. Then I went back and talked to him for a minute, and we’re all good.”
Chiesa was later seen tearfully hugging Pena backstage as she celebrated the biggest moment in her career.
Chiesa’s drunken shenanigans might bring back memories for Pena as a few years ago she was arrested by police for assault after becoming embroiled in a bar fight with a bouncer while intoxicated.
In the aftermath of that incident Chiesa had spoken out in defense of his teammate while admitting that he felt guilty that he hadn’t been there to look out for her that night.
Sam Sicilia also once recalled another bar fight during which a man got into an altercation with Pena which led to several people fighting, leading to Sicilia “handing out naps” to the troublemakers, while Chiesa choked another brawler unconscious.
