OTTAWA, Ontario – Before there was Donald Cerrone, there was Gabriel Miglioli.
Lightweight Al Iaquinta had three weeks to go before his fifth professional fight with Ring of Combat, a New Jersey-based MMA promotion that launched several East Coast stars. Then the UFC came calling.
Naturally, Miglioli was getting stood up. It took Iaquinta (14-4-1 MMA, 9-3 UFC) a few calls to suss out who he’d be fighting. But as soon as he agreed, Cerrone (35-11 MMA, 22-8 UFC) was booked opposite Wagner Rocha, who went on to lose a unanimous decision at UFC 131 in Vancouver.
Iaquinta went back to Miglioli and won a split decision. Just for good measure, he fought him again and won in 26 seconds. The UFC came calling again, this time for the 15th installment of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He got choked out in the finals by season winner Michael Chiesa, but earned a spot on the 155-pound roster.
Eight years later, Iaquinta is standing on Canadian soil as he nears a fight with the one that got away. Cerrone is still the same standout as he was before, and an even bigger star.
Competitively, they’re at eye level.
This time around, Cerrone needed a fight because he got stood up by ex-champ Conor McGregor, and Iaquinta, well, he just needed a fight. Things worked a lot smoother this time around.
“It would have been interesting to see how things played out then, but I’m glad I got this fight now,” Iaquinta told MMA Junkie in advance of the ESPN+ headliner at Canadian Tire Centre. “It’s a big opportunity.”
Cerrone isn’t exactly on the same page. Just about everyone measures up the same in his book. Short of a title shot or a life-changing matchup with McGregor, opponents are little more than cash machines. Iaquinta acknowledges this.
“He’s been on my radar, way, way, way longer than I’ve been on his radar,” he said.
But that doesn’t change anything about the way Iaquinta looks at the challenge. He’s proven he belongs at the elite level of UFC lightweights, and a win over Cerrone would demonstrate he’s still title-worthy after a gutsy loss to current champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. Cerrone is more than just another face.
“I think he’s a gamer,” Iaquinta said. “You’re not going to rattle that guy. (Whether it’s at) 155 or 170, I don’t think it makes a difference. I’ve got a tough task ahead of me.”
Iaquinta won’t get too far ahead of himself when he considers the potential scenarios that could await should he win, which oddsmakers slightly favor him to do. All he knows is that he needs to keep his head down and focus – and not get caught.
“Ideally, I go in there and make it quick, make it easy and painless,” he said. “May the 4th turns into Cinco de Mayo, and then who the hell knows what’ll happen.”
One thing that hasn’t changed in those eight years: Iaquinta still knows how to celebrate.
To hear more from Iaquinta, check out the video above.
And for more on UFC on ESPN+ 9, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
