Al Iaquinta Insists ‘Dana White Has No Power Over Me’
Al Iaquinta isn’t afraid to get cut from the UFC.
Ragin’ has been one of several fighters who have spoken out against UFC President Dana White’s recent decision to move weigh-ins back to the afternoon as opposed to the morning. Iaquinta has signed on to headline UFC Lincoln against Justin Gaethje in August.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Iaquinta claimed that when he signed on to fight Gaethje he was under the impression that he’d be weighing in during the morning – so that’s what he’ll be doing:
”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.”
Iaquinta then doubled down on his claim of not caring if White decides to cut him from the UFC, saying he’s not Yair Rodriguez – who was cut from the UFC before subsequently being brought back in after agreeing to fight Zabit Magomedsharipov – and won’t come crying back:
”That was me saying, ‘I’m not freaking Yair Rodriguez,’” Iaquinta said. “You cut me, I’m not crying and coming back. Dana White has no power over me. That guy has zero power over me. I’ve got to keep fighting inside the cage and out.
“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. 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.”
