‘Cowboy’ ready to rumble at Fight Night
Al Iaquinta pauses when asked if he’s a “fan” of Cowboy Cerrone.
Then he answers, pauses and answers again.
“Yeah,” said Iaquinta before awkwardly pausing. “I don’t know if I’m a fan of his. I respect his technique. Fan is a weird word, but I definitely hold him in high regard as opposed to a lot of other fighters.”
On Saturday night, at UFC Fight Night 150: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy at Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre, there’ll be a lot of respect between the two main-eventers — UFC record-holding Donald Cerrone (who they call Cowboy) vs. Al Iaquinta. In a pre-event Media Day on Thursday, there was none of the brash, trash-talking — just two guys chatting about a match that could be a major stepping stone for each of them.
“I’m just going to go in, have fun and do what I love,” said the 36-year-old Cerrone, who holds UFC records with 22 wins and 16 finishes and is currently ranked eighth in the lightweight division. “He’s going to try to come hard early because they think I’m a slow starter. Let’s go motherf-ker, I love it, let’s blow the roof of this place. Let’s go five rounds non-stop. Can he keep the pace? I can. I was born with great cardio, I’m in great shape.”
“The number (ranking) beside his name might not be too high, but everyone knows who the heck (Cerrone) is,” said the 32-year-old Iaquinta, ranked fourth with a record of 14-4-1. “The fans cheer for that guy louder than anybody. He’s been in there with the best of the best for a very long time. I’ve been watching him since I got into the sport, I’ve been watching him way longer than he’s been watching me, he’s been on my radar for a long time.”
Current lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov beat Iaquinta a year ago, then beat Conor McGregor by submission in October. Saturday’s match is a step toward a shot at that title for either Iaquinta or Cerrone.
“A good performance against a guy like Cowboy is what I need right now and what will put me right up there with everybody,” said Iaquinta. “The division’s crazy, anything could happen. If I do what I know I can do Saturday, it will all work itself out. I’m definitely not scared of fighting anybody. I think my youthfulness is at an all-time high and my experience is at an all-time high. I’m hungry. I’m watering at the mouth to get at those top guys again, to get that title shot.”
“I want to secure my legacy, it’s time to go get the belt, man,” said Cerrone. “Let’s do it.”
Iaquinta knows how dangerous Cowboy can be.
“He can finish from anywhere, he’s won decisions, he’s gone five rounds, he’s fought at 170 against tough guys, he’s fought at 150, he’s got so much experience,” said Iaquinta. “That last fight, Alexander Hernandez came after him — that young, hungry (guy), he’s going for it. But (Cerrone’s) experience really pulled through, he kind of just stayed level and when he saw his opportunity he took it. That’s his biggest strength, he knows when to use his energy. He’s been in there with so many people, he can kind of call audibles on the fly and get the job done.”
Iaquinta figures he’s taken his training to the next level and it’s time for the results to start kicking in.
“I’m training my brain, I’m training physically and mentally. I think I’m at the forefront of training. I think it’s going to show. Even if I get hit, I’m seeing it and I’m coming back with something right away. Nothing’s going to surprise me Saturday night.”