Al Iaquinta: Win Over Donald Cerrone Puts Me ‘Right There’ For Title Shot
Al Iaquinta thinks a victory in his next fight will get him close to a title shot.
He’s slated to meet Donald Cerrone in the headliner of the upcoming UFC Ottawa. It’s a big fight for Iaquinta as the winner of this fight will move up the lightweight rankings. They could also get one step closer to a title shot.
It’s well known that UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will fight current interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier later this year.
Next Up?
In the mind of Iaquinta, he thinks if he can beat Cerrone then he could be fighting the winner of the title unification bout. He elaborated on his belief during a recent interview with MMA Weekly.
“I think it puts me right up there,” Iaquinta said when asked what a win over Cerrone does for him. “The division is kind of all over the place but Dustin [Poirier] is said to get the next shot and whoever emerges will probably be after him.”
“The division is going to shake out until September. It’s going to be whoever emerges, who has dominant performances and who the fans want to see in that spot,” Iaquinta said. “I think the fans respect the body of work I’ve put together over the last couple of years and the way that I handle myself, I think I resonate with the fans. I think the UFC is behind me, too, I think the UFC believes in me and I’m a performing member of the squad.”
UFC Ottawa (also known as UFC on ESPN+9) is set to take place on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main card and preliminary card will air on ESPN +.
