"It's a testament to my toughness" - Al Iaquinta recalls going the distance with Khabib Nurmagomedov in their title fight at UFC 223
UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta has spoken about the experience of going the distance with Khabib Nurmagomedov back at UFC 223.
While he may not have won the title that night in Brooklyn, Al Iaquinta showed a great deal of heart when he went head to head with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight championship.
Undefeated. Undisputed.
@TeamKhabib soaks in his LW championship in Brooklyn. #UFC223 https://t.co/0BEoQY6AcW
The chaotic nature of that fight week ensured that instead of going up against Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta would be contesting for gold in the main event. However, he technically wasn’t eligible to win the strap due to being 0.2 pounds above the 155-pound weight limit.
While Khabib was largely dominant in the bout, he wasn’t able to get Al Iaquinta out of there, leading to 'The Eagle' winning via unanimous decision. When asked how he felt about being the last man to go the distance with Nurmagomedov in a recent interview with Combat Sports on Fanatics View, 'Raging Al' had the following response:
“It’s a testament to my toughness, I know how tough I am. I think it showed everybody else how tough I am. I think that the rest of the guys probably could’ve done the same thing, but there’s a little weakness there that Khabib was able to exploit. It’s definitely motivating, for sure.”
Watch Combat Sport on Fanatics View's full interview with Al Iaquinta below:
What’s next for Al Iaquinta?
After two years away from mixed martial arts, Al Iaquinta will be back in action at UFC 268 when he takes on veteran Bobby Green.
He’ll be attempting to get back in the win column after suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Donald Cerrone and Dan Hooker. However, there are questions that have been asked regarding ring rust and whether or not the experience of Bobby Green could prove vital.
🏆 Usman 🆚 Covington 2
🏆 Namajunas 🆚 Zhang 2
💥 Gaethje 🆚 Chandler
🤩 Strickland v Rockhold, Edgar v Vera, Iaquinta v Green
🇮🇪 Ian Garry's UFC debut
🔥 Burgos, Shahbazyan & more...
#UFC268 is one of the best cards of all-time! 🙌
We're in for something special in NYC 🗽 https://t.co/oUTYWk6DQ5
UFC 268 is shaping up to be one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year for the promotion.
One thing Al Iaquinta always brings to every card he’s on is carnage. If he can produce that in what will be his first bout in New York since the Khabib fight, the fans will be in for quite the treat.