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 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?
