Chiesa: Magny win proved 'I'm one of the best'

Michael Chiesa proved a lot by dominating Neil Magny in the UFC Fight Night main event last week.

Most of all, he believes he cemented himself as an elite welterweight.

"I think this proves that I'm one of the best," Chiesa told theScore. "There are guys that have beaten me and they get title shots after that. Kevin Lee got the best of me; he got an (interim) title shot. I don't want to be that gatekeeper. I want to be the guy who walks through the gate and toward the elite of the division."

Chiesa took down Magny routinely and controlled him on the ground en route to a unanimous-decision victory last Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

"Maverick," who's now ranked No. 6 in the division, achieved several small goals against Magny: He went five rounds for the first time, it was his first triumph in a UFC main event, and he's now riding a four-fight winning streak in the promotion for the first time.

"I'm one of those types of people where after a fight, I find something to kind of discredit myself - just something to water down the win a little bit," Chiesa said. "This is the most proud of myself I've been after a fight. ... There's no area or anything that I can possibly discredit myself for."

Chiesa called out former interim champion Colby Covington after his latest win, but he knows that fight may not get booked since the UFC wants to schedule "Chaos" against Jorge Masvidal. Still, the 33-year-old won't settle for an opponent ranked outside the top five.

"I feel like I 100% have earned my right, I have punched my ticket to the top five," Chiesa said. "If I'm not ranked No. 5 when the rankings come out, that's fine, but I won't accept a fight that's not a guy within No. 1-5."