Michael Chiesa returns to the octagon at UFC 223, and he expects fans to see a new version of him when he fights former UFC and WEC champion Anthony Pettis.

Chiesa (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) hasn’t fought since UFC Fight Night 112 in June, when he suffered a somewhat controversial submission loss to Kevin Lee. It’s his only fight in the past two years, and during his time away from competition, “Maverick” has made some changes.

In the past, Chiesa has bounced around between training in Las Vegas and Spokane, Wash. For the Pettis (20-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) fight, however, he’s spending all his time in “Sin City” at the UFC Performance Institute and Syndicate MMA. He said the results of that change will be evident at UFC 223.

“I’ve been training hard for the last two months,” Chiesa told MMAjunkie Radio. “I’ve reinvented myself out here at the (Performance Institute), out here at Syndicate (MMA). Just a new outlook on fighting and my career. I’m excited to put my best foot forward.”

UFC 223 takes place April 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Every time Chiesa has lost in his career he’s bounced back with a victory. He views Pettis as the perfect opponent to help him get back on track. Chiesa originally wanted a matchup against Evan Dunham, who is unbeaten in his past five fights. But when he found out “Showtime” was available, he quickly altered his focus.

Although Pettis is a former champion, it’s arguable that he’s currently more vulnerable than any other point in his career. He’s lost five of his past seven fights, and although that looks bad on paper, Chiesa said he still views Pettis as a top-tier lightweight.

With that said, Chiesa thinks he’s going to extend Pettis’ rough run.

“It’s the type of matchup I was looking for,” Chiesa said. “I want my name to get right back in the mix. A series of unfortunate events led to my last fight coming up short against Kevin. He went on to fight for the title, and that was a gut bump in itself when I read the headlines. But a win over Anthony Pettis gets me right back in the mix with those guys. You saw what (Dustin) Poirier did when he went out there and beat him, so I’ve got to do the same thing, but do it better.

“It’s just a perfect matchup for me. (He’s a) tough guy. A lot of guys counting Anthony out, saying he’s done. But look at the guys he’s fought. He doesn’t roll over for anybody. He’s a tough dude, and I’m just – this is my first time fighting a former world champion, so it’s a pretty exciting time for me.”

For more on UFC 223, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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