For Macy Chiasson, 2020 was a rough year. The same can be said for most of planet Earth, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But Chiasson mixed in heart surgery with contracting COVID-19. Not a fun mix.
Chiasson, The Ultimate Fighter 28 winner, had an ablation performed after her doctor caught an irregularity. Two weeks later, she caught COVID, which led to recovery issues and chest pains.
“I think for everyone, 2020 until now has been a pretty rough year. A lot of ups and downs,” Chiasson (6-1) observed during this week’s UFC Vegas 22 virtual media day. “You do what you can. Getting sick, and then having heart surgery and stuff like that, it definitely was a setback. But I think, with a little time off, I was able to grow mentally, and figure out my game as a ranked fighter now.”
The featherweight, who returns at UFC Vegas 22 against Marion Reneau, added that “it’s almost a blessing in disguise. It sucked, I wasn’t able to fight Sijara [Eubanks]. Just getting through a bunch of injuries, it’s never fun, but it’s a part of the game.”
As for what she learned from it all, “I think just being focused and staying focused on what’s important in front of you is the biggest thing,” said Chiasson.
Aside from her weight cut, Chiasson said she was actually having fun during Fight Week. But this is her second Fight Week of late. The bout with Reneau was supposed to take place in February. Renau then tested positive for COVID-19.
“It sucks. That means your camp is prolonged. And I really wanted to fight Marion, so getting a short-notice opponent didn’t seem like a good idea for me,” explained Chiasson. “Because I’m ready to start fighting good girls. I’m ready to start fighting people who are going to bring something to the table, and that I have to work really hard for. It’s something I enjoy and look forward to when I go to training, knowing that I’m going to fight someone who’s been around for a while.”
The time off, in the end, just meant that there was “more time to work, and more information to gather.”
The style match-up was another factor, on top of the ranking. “And she’s also a vet,” Chiasson added. “Her last three opponents — Cat Zinagno, Rocky Pennington, she’s fought Andrade. She’s fought a lot of notable people, and I’m ready to put myself against someone like that.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 22 virtual media day scrum with Macy Chiasson above.
