Dana White’s recent suggestion that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) would be going back to a later weigh in time has been a very hot topic with fighters around the water cooler social media.
And it’s fair to say the majority of combatants under the Endeavor umbrella aren’t too thrilled with the move, which is going to happen whether they like it or not. According to one “Ragin’” Lightweight, that is simply not going to fly, as Al Iaquinta told ESPN he is 100-percent confident weigh ins will continue on in the mornings.
”I’m going to weigh-in and then I’m going to start eating,” Iaquinta said. “I signed a contract under the assumption we are weighing in in the morning, so we are. There will be no afternoon weigh-in, 100 percent,” he added.
”Dana is out of line, and this is the last straw. They’ve never seen anyone like me. I will do everything in my power to make sure this is done the right way. We are weighing in in the morning.”
White and Al’s beef is no secret, and it hasn’t gotten better over time despite the fact Iaquinta stepped up in a huge way for the promotion back at UFC 223 to face Khabib Nurmagomedov on a day’s notice for the Lightweight title.
After reports of a proposed matchup between Iaquinta and Justin Gaethje surfaced — which has now been made official — Al mimicked Yair Rodriguez’s “fake news” tweet regarding potential UFC scraps.
Of course, “Pantera” was cut by the promotion after his spat with White, though he was eventually brought back and it was all chalked up to a case of miscommunication. There is no miscommunication on Al’s part, though, as he says unlike Rodriguez he won’t come crying back should he ever get cut by UFC.
”That was me saying, ‘I’m not freaking Yair Rodriguez,’” Iaquinta explained. “You cut me, I’m not crying and coming back. Dana White has no power over me. That guy has zero power over me.”
Still, Al won’t stop fighting for what he believes is right for as along as he has the ability and voice to do so.
”I’ve got to keep fighting inside the cage and out,” Iaquinta said. “The UFC needs a person like me, because I love this sport, and Dana — I don’t know if he loves this anymore. I think he’s just addicted to the spotlight and making it all about him,” he added.
“The more Dana White gets in front of a mic, the stronger we get. The more he opens his mouth, the more [Project Spearhead] forms we fill out. The fighters have gotten a taste of what it feels like to get a full, almost 36 hours of time to rehydrate. I’ve reached out to more than enough people to know that if he moves that, it will be the last straw that does him in,” he concluded.