Coach Wouldn’t Be Surprised If Al Iaquinta Shocks The World At UFC 223
After one of the craziest weeks in the history of mixed martial arts saw Khabib Nurmagomedov lose multiple opponents for his scheduled UFC 223 lightweight title fight, the promotion announced yesterday (April 6, 2017) that “The Eagle” would be taking on Al Iaquinta, who was originally set to meet Paul Felder tonight in Brooklyn.
And while most are giving Iaquinta a slim chance of overcoming Nurmagomedov on such short notice, his longtime coach, Matt Serra, made it clear that “Ragin’” Al is a ‘dangerous’ fighter:
“We’re going to be talking up until it’s time to go,” Serra told MMA Junkie. “But Al’s a fighter, and Al’s a dangerous mofo when you lock him in that cage. Everybody’s human, so don’t get caught up in that. Us ‘Strong Island’ boys don’t get caught up in the hype. I respect Khabib. I think he’s one of the best.”
The Long Island native is indeed a dangerous fighter, as he’s won five-straight fights with four of them ending via T/KO. If he continues that winning streak tonight, UFC President Dana White has implied that he will be recognized as the undisputed lightweight champion and Serra said he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ to see Iaquinta get the job done:
“If you beat the man, you’re the man, whether you have the strap around your waist or not. A lot of guys wouldn’t take this fight, or they would make some crazy demands. Raging Al is taking the fight against arguably the most dangerous 155-pounder on the planet. That alone makes me super proud. I wouldn’t be surprised if he shocks the world.”
Alongside Nurmagomedov vs. Iaquinta, UFC 223 will also feature a strawweight title fight rematch between 115-pound titleholder Rose Namajunas and ex-champion Joanna Jedrzjeczyk.
