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James Vick rips Michael Chiesa, Kevin Lee and 'punching bag' Justin Gaethje after UFC-Austin win

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AUSTIN, Texas – James Vick wants a matchup with one of the UFC’s top lightweights because he doesn’t think anyone ranked below him will agree to a fight.

Vick (13-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) picked up his ninth victory in 10 UFC appearances on Sunday when he defeated Francisco Trinaldo (22-6 MMA, 12-5 UFC) by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 126, which took place at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, and aired on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Prior to getting booked against Trinaldo, Vick was seeking a clash with Michael Chiesa (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) or Kevin Lee (16-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC). He said neither was willing to agree to a bout, though, and he doesn’t expect that to change now. That’s why he’s moving onto new names.

Vick said the likes of 155-pound champ Conor McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC), interim champ Tony Ferguson (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) and unbeaten contender Khabib Nurmagomedov (25-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) are on his mind, and he feels more than ready to fight them.

“My goal in my mind, my destiny is to become a world champion,” Vick told MMAjunkie after UFC Fight Night 126 “Some of these guys have been training 10 years longer than me, and I’ve beaten them all. I have one of the best records in the entire organization. You can’t name probably three other guys that have a better record than that. Khabib is probably the only one, because he’s never lost. One-hundred percent, I’m ready to fight for a world title. I’m ready for these guys. I’ve been working my ass off for the last 11 years to get where I’m at, and my skills are at an all-time high. I’m 100 percent ready for these guys.”

Vick said he has the UFC’s support when it came to getting the matchups he wanted prior to finally getting paired with Trinaldo at UFC Fight Night 126. He said Chiesa and Lee shut down proposed bouts, and he said the reasoning is unacceptable.

“(UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby he tells me on the phone – he’s trying as hard as he can to do his job – he tells me, ‘These guys want no part of you,'” Vick said. “He straight up tells me that. They wanted to make the Chiesa fight because it made the most sense. The dude beat me six years ago on ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ The problem I have with him is he says that I’m not ranked high enough to fight him. OK, I understand, dude. If you think that you’ve worked harder and you’ve earned a higher ranking and I don’t deserve to fight you because I’m not ranked high enough, OK, I respect that – until you start calling out Evan Dunham, who’s ranked (expletive) below me. And now you’re fighting Anthony Pettis, who’s ranked below me. That whole argument just went out the window. You’re agreeing to fight guys who are ranked below me, and I’m not ranked high enough for you?

“Kevin Lee’s turned down two fights with me.”

Vick said if the UFC were to match him against Lee or Chiesa, it would be because they were “forced” to do so. He’s not confident it will happen, though, and he said that’s the case with other names in the weight class, including Dustin Poirier (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) and Justin Gaethje (18-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who headline April’s UFC on FOX 29 event.

Because of that, Vick is setting his sights on bigger game.

“They don’t want to mention my name,” Vick said. “I don’t care. I’m done with easy guys. If they don’t sign the fight, I don’t care. They don’t have to fight me. I’m thinking Khabib, Tony Ferguson. I’m thinking McGregor. I’m thinking world title fights. I have the same record as Conor McGregor has in the UFC. To say I’m not worthy to fight these dudes is a joke. I am worthy.

“I don’t give a (expletive) if Kevin Lee and Chiesa don’t want to fight me, or Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje. Justin Gaethje was running his mouth earlier in the summer. The dude’s a (expletive) punching bag. I’ll knock his ass out. These dudes don’t want to fight me. I don’t even care. I’m thinking above that.”

Vick said he was “disappointed” with his performance against Trinaldo at UFC Fight Night 126. An emphatic finish would have benefitted his case for a big fight, but he said a dislocated finger forced him to adjust mid-fight.

Still, he came out with a decisive win, and he said that should still count for something given Trinaldo’s track record. The title picture with McGregor, Ferguson and Nurmagomedov is complicated and unclear at best, but Vick still sees himself in the mix. He took it a step further and predicted he’ll hold the lightweight belt by the end of 2018.

“Hell yeah, I think I’m going to be a world champ by the end of the year – 100 percent” Vick said. “I believe that with all my heart. My skill set is at an all-time high. I’m ready. I’ve been ready for these guys.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 126, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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