Focused on growth, Macy Chiasson happy with evolution shown in UFC on ESPN 21 win

LAS VEGAS –– Macy Chiasson thinks she’s finally coming into her own.

The winner of Season 28 of “The Ultimate Fighter” is happy to see her game evolve at the same time she’s been working to establish herself in the UFC women’s bantamweight division. Chiasson (7-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is now on a two-fight streak after a win over Marion Reneau at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21.

Chiasson outpointed Reneau in a unanimous decision, winning 29-28 across all three judges’ scorecards.

It had been a little more than a year since Chiasson stepped in the cage, but she said she noticed a change in her game.

“I think for me, it was all about growth,” Chiasson told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 21 post-fight news conference. “I haven’t been in the cage in a year, and even though there was a lot of downs because of that – fight cancellations, postponements – I think it was a blessing in disguise because I had a lot of time to develop not only physically (and) technically, but mentally.

“The biggest factor for me was composure. I basically grew up in the UFC. I was 2-0 when I got here. I’m 8-1 now. Most of my fights are against game opponents in the UFC, so for me it was a lot of mental work. If I’m going to fight these girls, I can’t take everyone out. I have to expect that it could be three rounds. What’s my mind going to be like? Is my mentality going to be there? Is my composure going to be there?  Will I be able to scramble in risky situations and not stress about it? I think for me, it was a huge win.”

Chiasson attributes her growth to being able to take time off in between fights. The 29-year-old hopes to do the same for future bouts now that she’s fighting top-10 opponents.

“When I first got into the UFC, I was like, ‘Fight, fight, fight,’ which is good because I also need cage time,” Chiasson said. “But at this point, I also think cracking the top 10 all the way up to (champion) Amanda (Nunes), I need to make sure I’m woking on my game and it’s going to be hard to do that fighting ranked fighter after ranked fighter. I think a few months in between each fight will be very beneficial for my growth and be a complete fighter.”