Everybody Wants to Fight Conor McGregor and Get Rich Quick… Except for One UFC Fighter… Al Iaquinta Has Challenged Conor McGregor to Fight in an Alleyway…
Al Iaquinta is having a bit of a moment right now. He’s coming off the back of a win over the highly touted Kevin Lee, where he calmly executed his game plan against a very dangerous and physical opponent. It was an impressive victory for the most famous real estate agent in MMA.
Before losing to Khabib Nurmagamedov at UFC 223 last April, when he took the fight as a last minute replacement for Tony Ferguson (Iaquinta was initially booked to fight Paul Felder), the New Yorker was riding a five-fight win streak. Now he’s ranked at No. 4 in the division. His stock has never been higher.
While he was dominated by Khabib, he did manage to take the Russian to a decision and at the end of the day, he didn’t have the best preparation for the fight. Now he’s angling for a fight against another of Khabib’s former opponents: Conor McGregor. ‘Raging Al’ doesn’t want the money; just the glory.
Wake Up
Iaquinta has taken note of the fact that McGregor is facing a turning point in his career. As a former double champion, most people believe that the Irishman’s glory days are in the past and that the hunger is gone. ‘Raging Al’ is ready to capitalize and welcome ‘The Notorious’ back if he wants to have another go at a title run. He told TMZ:
“We have a common opponent in Khabib. I went the distance on a day’s notice. And he had all the time in the world to prepare, and he tapped out when things got a little tough…especially after talking all that s***, I don’t know….I think he’s lost it in a lot of ways. I think he’s trying to get it back now. Maybe that woke him up a little bit.”
Not Impressed
Iaquinta addressed McGregor defiantly as he made the point that Khabib finished him, yet he was able to bring the Dagestani sambo champion the full distance. ‘Raging Al’ said:
“You talk all that s***…you talk s*** about me, that (Khabib) couldn’t finish me. And then, you go out there and get finished that quick? I don’t know…he’s such a little shyster.It’s the same s***. He’ll do anything for the dollar. It’s such a shame.”
Challenge
The New York native made it very clear that he doesn’t care about getting a ‘red panty’ night. He recognizes that McGregor is a massive scalp, and arguably has never been more vulnerable in his MMA career. He said:
“That money fight s***, it’s all bulls***. F***ing meet me in the alleyway, I’ll show you a money fight.”
Well, what do you think? Is this the right fight for McGregor? And does Al Iaquinta have a realistic chance of competing for the lightweight belt in 2019? Only time will tell…
