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Al Iaquinta

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Al Iaquinta
Al Iaquinta in November 2018
Born (1987-04-30) April 30, 1987 (age 37)
Valley Stream, New York, U.S.
NicknameRaging
ResidenceSeaford, New York, U.S.
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Weight155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)
DivisionLightweight
Reach70 in (178 cm)[2]
Fighting out ofWantagh, New York, U.S.
TeamSerra-Longo Fight Team
RankPurple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Matt Serra[4]
Years active2009–2021
Mixed martial arts record
Total22
Wins14
By knockout7
By submission1
By decision6
Losses7
By knockout1
By submission3
By decision3
Draws1
Amateur record
Total14
Wins14
Losses0
Other information
Websitealiaquinta.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Al Iaquinta (born April 30, 1987) is an American Real Estate Agent and former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having once challenged for the Lightweight championship belt. A professional MMA competitor since 2009, Iaquinta has been signed with the UFC since 2012.

Mixed martial arts career

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Early career

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Iaquinta, who is of Italian descent, wrestled at Wantagh High School[5] and went on to earn his associate degree from Nassau Community College, where he also wrestled.[6] Before turning pro, Iaquinta had a perfect amateur record of 14–0. Iaquinta began his pro MMA career fighting for the Ring of Combat promotion. There, he earned a record of 5–1–1.[7]

The Ultimate Fighter

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Iaquinta was one of 32 lightweight fighters announced by the UFC to participate in first live season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show.[8] Iaquinta advanced into the TUF house by defeating Jon Tuck by unanimous decision after one round.[9] Afterwards, he was chosen as first pick for Team Faber.

After his team lost the first two matches, Iaquinta earned the first win for Team Faber by defeating Myles Jury via split decision after three rounds.[10]

In the quarter-finals, Iaquinta fought Team Faber teammate, Andy Ogle. Iaquinta won via TKO in the closing moments of round one.[11] The win advanced Iaquinta into the semi-finals where he faced Team Cruz's Vinc Pichel. Iaquinta defeated Pichel via unanimous decision after two rounds and moved on to the finals against teammate Michael Chiesa.[12]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

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Iaquinta officially made his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale on June 1, 2012, against Michael Chiesa to determine the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Live. Iaquinta lost to Chiesa by submission due to a rear naked choke early in the first round.[13]

Iaquinta was expected to face Joe Proctor on April 27, 2013, at UFC 159.[14] However, the bout was scrapped as both fighters sustained training injuries leading up to the fight.[15]

Iaquinta faced Ryan Couture on August 31, 2013, at UFC 164, replacing an injured Quinn Mulhern.[16] He won the bout via unanimous decision, after dominating the fight on the feet and negating all of Couture's takedown attempts.

Iaquinta was expected to face Anthony Njokuani on October 26, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 30, replacing an injured Paul Taylor.[17] Then on September 24, Njokuani pulled out of the event with an injury.[18] Iaquinta instead faced Piotr Hallmann.[19] He won the fight by unanimous decision (29–28, 30–27, and 30–27).

Iaquinta faced Kevin Lee at UFC 169 on February 8, 2014. He won the fight by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, and 28–27).[20]

Iaquinta faced Mitch Clarke at UFC 173 on May 24, 2014.[21] He lost the fight via submission (D'arce choke) in the second round.

Iaquinta faced Rodrigo Damm at UFC Fight Night 50 on September 5, 2014.[22] Iaquinta defeated Damm via third-round TKO.[23][24]

Iaquinta faced Ross Pearson on November 8, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 55.[25] Despite being the underdog, Iaquinta won the fight via TKO in the second round.[26]

Iaquinta faced Joe Lauzon on January 31, 2015, at UFC 183.[27] He won the fight via TKO in the second round.[28]

Iaquinta faced Jorge Masvidal on April 4, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 63.[29] He won the bout via controversial split decision.[30] 13 of 15 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Masvidal.[31]

Iaquinta was expected to face Bobby Green on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71.[32] However, Green pulled out of the fight in mid-June, citing an undisclosed injury, and he was replaced by Gilbert Melendez.[33] Subsequently, Melendez was removed from the card on July 6, after it was revealed that he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs after his previous fight at UFC 188.[34] In turn, Iaquinta was removed from the card as well.[35]

Iaquinta was expected to face Thiago Alves on November 12, 2016, at UFC 205.[36] However, Iaquinta announced on September 19 that he would not be taking the fight due to a contract dispute with the promotion.[37]

After two years away from the sport, Iaquinta returned to face Diego Sanchez on April 22, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 108.[38] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[39]

Iaquinta was expected to face Paul Felder on December 2, 2017, at UFC 218.[40] However, Iaquinta pulled out of the fight on October 31 due to being unsatisfied with his current contract, and he was replaced by Charles Oliveira.[41]

UFC Lightweight Championship fight

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The bout with Felder was rescheduled and was expected to take place on April 7, 2018, at UFC 223.[42] However, because of an injury to interim UFC Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson and the state athletic commission's decision to pull replacement UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway over concerns over his weight cut, Iaquinta was scheduled as a replacement against Khabib Nurmagomedov in the five round main event.[43] Although the fight was scheduled for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship, only Nurmagomedov was eligible to win the championship due to Iaquinta weighing in at 155.2 lbs which is two tenths of a pound over the championship weight limit of 155. Iaquinta had already weighed in for his fight against Paul Felder prior to officially being announced as the new replacement. Non-championship bouts allow fighters to weigh in one pound over the limit.[44] Ultimately, Iaquinta lost the fight via unanimous decision.[45]

Post UFC Lightweight Championship fight

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Iaquinta was scheduled to face Justin Gaethje on August 25, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 135.[46] However, on June 28, 2018, Iaquinta withdrew from the bout, and he was replaced by James Vick.[47]

Iaquinta faced Kevin Lee in a rematch on December 15, 2018, at UFC on Fox 31.[48] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[49] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[50]

Iaquinta faced Donald Cerrone on May 4, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 151.[51] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[52] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus award.[53]

Iaquinta faced Dan Hooker on October 6, 2019, at UFC 243.[54] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[55]

Iaquinta faced Bobby Green on November 6, 2021, at UFC 268.[56] Iaquinta lost the fight via first round TKO, marking the first time that he lost by TKO in his professional MMA career.[57]

Iaquinta said in an interview on the MMA Hour he wasn't sure if he was retired yet and he's up in the air in regards to this.[58]

Submission Underground

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On February 23, 2020, Iaquinta faced Mike Perry at Chael Sonnen's Submission Underground 11 event.[59] He lost the fight via fastest escape time.[60][61]

Championships and accomplishments

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Mixed martial arts

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  • Ring of Combat
    • ROC Lightweight Championship (One time)

Personal life

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Iaquinta is a licensed real estate agent. He started the process of acquiring a license after a contract dispute for his fight against Thiago Alves at UFC 205.[64]

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
22 matches 14 wins 7 losses
By knockout 7 1
By submission 1 3
By decision 6 3
Draws 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 14–7–1 Bobby Green TKO (punches) UFC 268 November 6, 2021 1 2:25 New York City, New York, United States
Loss 14–5–1 Donald Cerrone Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy May 4, 2019 5 5:00 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Fight of the Night.
Win 14–4–1 Kevin Lee Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2 December 15, 2018 5 5:00 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Performance of the Night.
Loss 13–4–1 Khabib Nurmagomedov Decision (unanimous) UFC 223 April 7, 2018 5 5:00 Brooklyn, New York, United States For the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. Iaquinta made weight (155.2 lbs) for his original fight with Paul Felder, but was ineligible to win the title due to not being at championship weight.
Win 13–3–1 Diego Sanchez KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov April 22, 2017 1 1:38 Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Win 12–3–1 Jorge Masvidal Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Mendes vs. Lamas April 4, 2015 3 5:00 Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Win 11–3–1 Joe Lauzon TKO (punches) UFC 183 January 31, 2015 2 3:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–3–1 Ross Pearson TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping November 8, 2014 2 1:39 Sydney, Australia
Win 9–3–1 Rodrigo Damm TKO (punches and elbows) UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Mousasi September 5, 2014 3 2:26 Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Loss 8–3–1 Mitch Clarke Technical Submission (D'Arce choke) UFC 173 May 24, 2014 2 0:57 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 8–2–1 Kevin Lee Decision (unanimous) UFC 169 February 1, 2014 3 5:00 Newark, New Jersey, United States
Win 7–2–1 Piotr Hallmann Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Munoz October 26, 2013 3 5:00 Manchester, England
Win 6–2–1 Ryan Couture Decision (unanimous) UFC 164 August 31, 2013 3 5:00 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Loss 5–2–1 Michael Chiesa Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale June 1, 2012 1 2:47 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States The Ultimate Fighter 15 Lightweight Tournament final.
Loss 5–1–1 Pat Audinwood Submission (armbar) Ring of Combat 38 November 18, 2011 1 2:06 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Lost the ROC Lightweight Championship.
Win 5–0–1 Gabriel Miglioli TKO (punches) Ring of Combat 37 September 9, 2011 1 0:26 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Won the vacant ROC Lightweight Championship.
Win 4–0–1 Gabriel Miglioli Decision (split) Ring of Combat 36 June 17, 2011 3 4:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 3–0–1 Joshua Key TKO (punches) Ring of Combat 27 November 20, 2009 1 1:47 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Catchweight (161 lb) bout; Key missed weight.
Win 2–0–1 Tim Sylvester KO (punch) Ring of Combat 25 June 12, 2009 1 0:15 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Draw 1–0–1 Will Martinez Draw (unanimous) Ring of Combat 24 April 17, 2009 3 4:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Iaquinta was deducted one point for fence grabbing.
Win 1–0 Mervin Rodriguez Submission (anaconda choke) Ring of Combat 23 February 20, 2009 1 1:15 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 4–0 Vinc Pichel Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Live May 25, 2012 (Live airdate) 2 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States The Ultimate Fighter 15 Semifinal round.
Win 3–0 Andy Ogle TKO (elbow and punches) May 18, 2012 (Live airdate) 1 4:44 The Ultimate Fighter 15 Quarterfinal round. Knockout of the Season.
Win 2–0 Myles Jury Decision (split) March 30, 2012 (Live airdate) 3 5:00 The Ultimate Fighter 15 Preliminary round. Fight of the Season.
Win 1–0 Jon Tuck Decision (unanimous) March 9, 2012 (Live airdate) 1 5:00 The Ultimate Fighter 15 Elimination round.

[65]

Pay-per-view bouts

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No Event Fight Date Venue City PPV buys
1. UFC 223 Khabib vs. Iaquinta April 7, 2018 Barclays Center Brooklyn, New York, United States 350,000[66]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Al Iaquinta Stats, News, Bio".
  2. ^ "Fight Card - UFC 173 Barao vs. Dillashaw". UFC.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  3. ^ "UFC 223 main-card breakdown: Three potential barnburners in Brooklyn". MMAjunkie. 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  4. ^ Daniel Clark (August 18, 2012). "Interview with Al Iaquinta". MMA Narcotic.
  5. ^ "Winning only routine Iaquinta aims to keep". Newsday.
  6. ^ "Al Laquinta UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  7. ^ Sherdog.com. "Al Iaquinta MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog.
  8. ^ "'The Ultimate Fighter 15' cast unveiled with 32 lightweight fighters". MMAJunkie.com. February 27, 2012. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  9. ^ "Mixed martial arts results, Season 15 - The Ultimate Fighter" (PDF). State of Nevada, Department of Business and Industry Athletic Commission. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  10. ^ "Episode No. 4 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'". MMAJunkie.com. March 30, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  11. ^ "Episode No. 11 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'". MMAJunkie.com. May 18, 2012. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  12. ^ "Episode No. 12 Recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'". mmajunkie.com. May 25, 2012.
  13. ^ Chiappetta, Mike (2012-06-01). "Ultimate Fighter Results: Michael Chiesa Beats Al Iaquinta to Win TUF Live". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  14. ^ Staff (January 31, 2013). "Joe Proctor vs. Al Iaquinta joins 'UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen' card". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  15. ^ Staff (April 12, 2013). "Al Iaquinta also injured, fight pulled from UFC 159 lineup". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  16. ^ Staff (2013-07-16). "Quinn Mulhern out, Al Iaquinta meets Ryan Couture at UFC 164 in Milwaukee". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  17. ^ "Al Iaquinta replaces Paul Taylor, faces Anthony Njokuani at UFC Fight Night 30". mmajunkie.com. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
  18. ^ Staff (24 September 2013). "Injury knocks Anthony Njokuani out of UFC Fight Night 30 bout with Al Iaquinta". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  19. ^ Staff (26 September 2013). "Piotr Hallman replaces Njokuani, meets Al Iaquinta at UFC Fight Night 30". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  20. ^ Dave Doyle (2014-02-01). "UFC 169 results: Al Iaquinta wins entertaining scrap against Kevin Lee". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  21. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (2014-02-26). "Iaquinta heading to Vegas to face Clarke". UFC.com. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  22. ^ Jesse Holland (2014-07-12). "Al Iaquinta vs. Rodrigo Damm in the works for UFC Fight Night 50 on Sept. 5 in Connecticut". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  23. ^ John Morgan (2014-09-05). "UFC Fight Night 50 results: Al Iaquinta batters, finishes Rodrigo Damm". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  24. ^ Matt Erickson (September 15, 2014). "Commission adjusts Al Iaquinta finish time of Rodrigo Damm at UFC Fight Night 50". MMAjunkie.com.
  25. ^ Staff (2014-10-02). "Ross Pearson vs. Al Iaquinta set for UFC Fight Night 55 in Sydney". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-10-02.
  26. ^ Matt Erickson (7 November 2014). "UFC Fight Night 55 results: Al Iaquinta shuts down Ross Pearson in second". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  27. ^ Ariel Helwani (2014-11-26). "Joe Lauzon vs. Al Iaquinta set for UFC 183". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  28. ^ Elias Cepeda (2015-01-31). "Al Iaquinta batters Joe Lauzon for TKO win". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2015-01-31.
  29. ^ Jason Floyd (2015-02-02). "Al Iaquinta vs. Jorge Masvidal booked for UFC Fight Night 63". themmareport.com. Retrieved 2015-02-02.
  30. ^ "RECAP! Raging Al Wins Controversial Decision". MMAmania.com.
  31. ^ "Al Iaquinta def. Jorge Masvidal :: UFC Fight Night 63 :: MMA Decisions". mmadecisions.com.
  32. ^ Dave Doyle (2015-04-26). "Al Iaquinta vs. Bobby Green announced for UFC Fight Night in San Diego". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  33. ^ Brent Brookhouse (2015-06-17). "Gilbert Melendez in to face Al Iaquinta at UFC Fight Night 71". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
  34. ^ Brent Brookhouse (2015-07-06). "Gilbert Melendez fails UFC 188 post-fight drug test, pulled from UFC Fight Night 71 card". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  35. ^ John Morgan (2015-07-06). "Iaquinta pulled from UFC Fight Night 71, Gamburyan vs. Jorgensen gets main card nod". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  36. ^ Jonathan Bradley (2016-07-08). "Al Iaquinta vs. Thiago Alves in the works for UFC 205". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
  37. ^ Jesse Holland (2016-09-19). "UFC 205: Contract dispute forces Al Iaquinta from Thiago Alves fight on Nov. 12". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
  38. ^ Dale Jordan (2017-02-12). "UFC announces Nashville event for April 22nd. Four fights officially added to the card". mmamad.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  39. ^ Ben Fowlkes (2017-04-23). "UFC Fight Night 108 results: Al Iaquinta destroys Diego Sanchez with combination of right hands". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  40. ^ Brandon Folsom (2017-10-12). "UFC 218: No. 11 Al Iaquinta vs. Paul Felder added to LCA fight". freep.com. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  41. ^ Steven Marrocco (2017-10-31). "Al Iaquinta out, Charles Oliveira in against Paul Felder at UFC 218". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
  42. ^ Staff (2018-01-14). "Take 2? Paul Felder vs. Al Iaquinta booked for UFC 223". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  43. ^ "UFC 223". ufc.com. 14 September 2018.
  44. ^ "Al Iaquinta meets Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 – but only Nurmagomedov couldn win title". MMAjunkie. 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  45. ^ "UFC 223 results: Khabib Nurmagomedov dominates Al Iaquinta to become new lightweight champ". MMAjunkie. 2018-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  46. ^ "Justin Gaethje vs. Al Iaquinta Official For UFC Lincoln • MMA News". MMA News. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  47. ^ "UFC announces James Vick as replacement for Al Iaquinta vs. Justin Gaethje in UFC Lincoln main event". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  48. ^ "UFC announces main fight between Kevin Lee vs Al Iaquinta for Dec. 15 card at Fiserv Forum". amp.jsonline.com.
  49. ^ Lee, Alexander K. (2018-12-15). "UFC on FOX 31 live blog: Kevin Lee vs. Al Iaquinta 2". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  50. ^ Doyle, Dave (2018-12-15). "UFC on FOX 31 bonuses: AI Iaquinta earns Performance of the Night for win over Kevin Lee". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  51. ^ Brett Okamoto (2019-03-19). "Sources: Iaquinta, Cerrone agree to May 4 fight". espn.com. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  52. ^ Doherty, Dan (2019-05-04). "UFC Ottawa Results: Donald Cerrone Outclasses Al Iaquinta in Fantastic Performance". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  53. ^ Stephie Haynes (2019-05-04). "UFC Ottawa post-fight bonuses: Cerrone and Iaquinta score FOTN honors". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  54. ^ DNA, MMA (22 August 2019). "Al Iaquinta vs. Dan Hooker toegevoegd aan UFC 243 in Melbourne". Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  55. ^ Doherty, Dan (2019-10-06). "UFC 243 Results: Dan Hooker Impresses in Dominant Performance". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  56. ^ Gonzalez, Gabriel (2021-08-29). "UFC 268: Al Iaquinta Returns for Bout Against Bobby Green". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  57. ^ Evanoff, Josh (2021-11-06). "UFC 268 Results: Bobby Green Finishes The Returning Al Iaquinta". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  58. ^ "The door isn't closed just yet. Feeling healthy, Al Iaquinta tells Ariel Helwani "we'll see" about the possibility of him fighting again". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  59. ^ Hannoun, Farah. "Al Iaquinta to face Mike Perry in grappling match at Submission Underground 11". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  60. ^ Harkness, Ryan. "Highlights: Mike Perry beats Al Iaquinta at Submission Underground 11". MMA Mania. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  61. ^ Shelton, Cole. "Submission Underground 11 Results & Highlights". BJPenn.com. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  62. ^ Doyle, Dave (2018-12-15). "UFC on FOX 31 bonuses: AI Iaquinta earns Performance of the Night for win over Kevin Lee". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
  63. ^ Haynes, Stephie (2019-05-04). "UFC Ottawa post-fight bonuses: Cerrone and Iaquinta score FOTN honors". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  64. ^ Martin, Damon (23 April 2017). "Video: Real estate agent delivers vicious KO in UFC". News.com.au.
  65. ^ Sherdog.com. "Al Iaquinta MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography - Sherdog.com". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  66. ^ "UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta | MMA Event". Tapology.
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