Tag: Al Iaquinta

Khabib vs. Al Iaquinta Finalized For UFC 223

Following an all-out soap opera that was set into motion earlier today when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his short-notice lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at tomorrow’s (April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from Brooklyn, New York, “The Eagle” finally has a new opponent for the featured bout. First, it was former […]

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Following an all-out soap opera that was set into motion earlier today when featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his short-notice lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at tomorrow’s (April 7, 2018) UFC 223 from Brooklyn, New York, “The Eagle” finally has a new opponent for the featured bout.

First, it was former champion Anthony Pettis who was tabbed to replace Holloway, but the UFC reportedly would not agree to “Showtime’s” asking price. Next up was rising contender Paul Felder, who was scheduled to meet Al Iaquinta at the pay-per-view event, but that fight was denied by the NYSAC because Felder was unranked.

The event was running low on viable 155-pound competition after Pettis’ original foe Michael Chiesa was forced off the card due to lacerations suffered in Conor McGregor’s bus attack at Barclays Center yesterday, leaving only Iaquinta, who weighed in at 155.2 pounds – 0.2 of a pound over the championship limit – at early weigh-ins.

But apparently, that wasn’t enough to keep him from stepping into the main as an unlikely challenger.

Word arrived via Ariel Helwani his afternoon (Fri. April 6, 2018) that Iaquinta will face Khabib in the UFC 223 main event tomorrow night, signifying a wholly unexpected rise for the Long Islander:

Iaquinta won’t be able to win the belt, however, as he weighed in at 155.2 pounds earlier in the day, albeit with his underwear on.

Nurmagomedov will be able to win the gold, however:

According to Helwani, Iaquinta definitely would have made the title fight weight, as we only 0.2 over in his underwear and weighed in early, but no one could have seen the necessity unfolding:

UFC 223 finally has a main event, even if it took what can legitimately be called the most hectic week in UFC history.

I guess it’s all part of the fight game, fans. Stay tuned for what will certainly be more big news surrounding UFC 223 tonight.

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Al Iaquinta vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Targeted For UFC 223

When all else fails, turn to “Raging Al.” The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has been dealt a bad hand. First, Tony Ferguson tore ligaments in his knee cancelling his bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223. Then, Conor McGregor goes…

When all else fails, turn to “Raging Al.” The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has been dealt a bad hand. First, Tony Ferguson tore ligaments in his knee cancelling his bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223. Then, Conor McGregor goes on a rampage and shatters glass injuring two UFC 223 fighters and forcing them off […]

The post Al Iaquinta vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Targeted For UFC 223 appeared first on MMA News.

Al Iaquinta Explains The Best Way To Negotiate With UFC

Al Iaquinta’s issues with the UFC over the last few years have been well documented. ‘Ragin’” Al and the UFC brass have clashed numerous times, primarily over his pay, but the Long Island native will be making his return to action at UFC 223 on April 7, 2018 against Paul Felder. He appears to be […]

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Al Iaquinta’s issues with the UFC over the last few years have been well documented.

‘Ragin’” Al and the UFC brass have clashed numerous times, primarily over his pay, but the Long Island native will be making his return to action at UFC 223 on April 7, 2018 against Paul Felder.

He appears to be a bit more content with how he’s being compensated now and he recently detailed what he considers to be the ‘best negotiating’ tactic he used with the UFC:

“Me pulling out of that fight [at UFC 205 in New York], asking for more money, and them not giving it to me, it all works out, ‘cause now I come back, I win a fight by knockout, and kind of hold out for it,” Iaquinta told FloCombat. “Now I get a little bit of a pay bump. I’m fighting in New York, and I’m fighting an opponent who I think is a great stylistic matchup for me. I’m really looking forward to it.

“The best negotiating power is being willing to walk away and I was and they knew that. They know that I’m more valuable with them than not at all.”

And although he’s ‘happy’ with what he’ll be receiving for his upcoming fight, Iaquinta did make it clear that he won’t forget everything that took place between him and the UFC brass:

“There are some things that have been done that I don’t think I’ll ever get over,” Iaquinta said. “I was basically sitting in a car waiting for a phone call from Dana White or Lorenzo Fertitta and I never really got one. I had a surgery scheduled and they said they were not paying for it.

“They were going to pay like 15 percent or 30 percent and I was going to have to come up with a lot more money, which at the time I didn’t have. They kind of forgot about me. They kind of threw me to the side.

“So I’m never going to forget that,” he added. “But aside from that, I’m happy with what I’m getting paid for this fight. I’m not thinking past that. Everything made sense and it’s all working out. I’ve just got to go in there and prove that I’m worth it.”

What do you make of Iaquinta’s comments?

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UFC 223’s Al Iaquinta to Paul Felder: ‘You’re a Kiss Ass, Bro’

Al Iaquinta views Paul Felder as a company shill. On April 7, Iaquinta will take on Felder inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The bout will be part of the UFC 223 event. It’ll also be the first bout under Iaquinta’s new UFC contrac…

Al Iaquinta views Paul Felder as a company shill. On April 7, Iaquinta will take on Felder inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The bout will be part of the UFC 223 event. It’ll also be the first bout under Iaquinta’s new UFC contract. Felder Is A Teacher’s Pet? Iaquinta and Felder certainly have […]

Al Iaquinta Fighting Paul Felder on ‘One-Fight Deal’

Al Iaquinta was given a new contract when he first agreed to meet Paul Felder at UFC 218. But after that bout fell through due to an injury to the former Ultimate Fighter runner-up, he remained on the sidelines awaiting the right kind of deal from the …

Al Iaquinta was given a new contract when he first agreed to meet Paul Felder at UFC 218. But after that bout fell through due to an injury to the former Ultimate Fighter runner-up, he remained on the sidelines awaiting the right kind of deal from the UFC. Iaquinta told The MMA Hour Monday that […]

Lightweight Contender Would Want Crazy Amount Of Money To Fight Khabib Nurmagomedov

One UFC lightweight title contender would need to be paid big bucks to fight the #1 contender in the division. That fighter is Al Iaquinta, who is currently ranked tenth in the division. It’s been well documented that Khabib Nurmagomedov is fresh off a win over Edson Barboza at UFC 219 and it was a […]

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One UFC lightweight title contender would need to be paid big bucks to fight the #1 contender in the division.

That fighter is Al Iaquinta, who is currently ranked tenth in the division. It’s been well documented that Khabib Nurmagomedov is fresh off a win over Edson Barboza at UFC 219 and it was a dominant performance, to say the least.

This has put the weight class on notice, which has greatly impressed “Ragin’ Al.”

Iaquinta stated in a recent interview that he is willing to entertain the idea of a potential fight with Nurmagomedov if it came with a hefty price.

“I can guarantee you [Conor McGregor] is not coming back to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov. Guaranteed. And I don’t blame him, I wouldn’t either,” Iaquinta told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour (transcript via MMA Mania).

“You’d have to pay me $1 million dollars right now to fight that f—-ng guy. I don’t want to fight that f—-ng guy, did you see what happened to Barboza? Are you f—-ng nuts? You want to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov?” he added.

“You have to pay me to fight that guy. Now if you paid me I’d go in there and freaking fight him, but, Barboza got paid 70, whatever he got paid. Get the f–k out of here, that’s silly, you’re nuts. The guy is like, I don’t know.”

UFC 223 is slated to take place on Saturday, April 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass.

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