Rivalries: Al Iaquinta

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Though his stay in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been marked by extended periods of inactivity, Al Iaquinta rarely—if ever—fails to entertain the masses.

Iaquinta will return from a two-year layoff when he toes the line against former King of the Cage champion Bobby Green in a premium UFC 268 prelim on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The 34-year-old Ray Longo and Matt Serra protégé enters the Octagon on a two-fight losing streak. He last appeared at UFC 243, where he dropped a unanimous decision to City Kickboxing star Dan Hooker on Oct. 5, 2019.

As Iaquinta makes final preparations for his three-round battle with Green, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career:

Michael Chiesa

The Sikjitsu standout put Iaquinta to sleep with a first-round rear-naked choke to win Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series in “The Ultimate Fighter 15” Finale co-main event on June 1, 2012 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Iaquinta refused to capitulate and instead lost consciousness 2:47 into Round 1. The Serra-Longo Fight Team export had Chiesa on the run with power punches but strayed too close to danger and left himself vulnerable. “Maverick” snatched a body lock, tripped Iaquinta to the floor from behind and hooked his legs in place. Chiesa then nailed down the choke, tightened his squeeze and shut off blood flow to the brain.

Jorge Masvidal

Iaquinta walked away with a contentious split decision over the American Top Team mainstay in the UFC Fight Night 63 co-headliner on April 4, 2015 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Judge Douglas Crosby scored it 30-27 for Masvidal, while Dave Tirelli and Cardo Urso saw it 29-28 for “Raging Al.” Masvidal turned in a dominant first five minutes, as he bashed “The Ultimate Fighter 15” finalist with a punishing jab. Late in the round, he drove Iaquinta to the canvas with a flying knee, a short right hook to the temple and follow-up punches. Masvidal then opened a gruesome cut under the New Yorker’s right eye with an elbow strike from the top. Iaquinta, though bloodied, weathered the onslaught. From there, Masvidal seemed to sit on his lead. His offensive output dwindled, though his jab remained an effective weapon. Iaquinta invested in leg kicks and brought his overhand right into play, slowly turning the tide in his favor. Fans booed the decision, prompting the Wantagh, New York, native to storm out of the cage in a rage.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov

The undefeated American Kickboxing Academy ace seized the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Iaquinta in the UFC 223 main event on April 7, 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Nurmagomedov pitched a shutout on the scorecards: 50-44, 50-43 and 50-43. A short-notice replacement for Max Holloway, Iaquinta refused to concede defeat despite what at times felt like an untenable situation. Nurmagomedov spent the first two rounds securing takedowns, moving to advantageous positions and alternating between choke attempts and ruthless ground-and-pound. Through it all, Iaquinta survived. Nurmagomedov tested the standup waters in the third, fourth and fifth rounds, where he peppered the Serra-Longo Fight Team rep with jabs and uppercuts. He appeared to tire late but had more than enough in the tank to hold off Iaquinta, handing the former Ring of Combat champion his first loss in nearly four years.

Kevin Lee

Iaquinta was indeed the better man, as the longtime Serra-Longo Fight Team standout made another significant move in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division and captured a unanimous decision over “The Motown Phenom” in the UFC on Fox 31 headliner on Dec. 15, 2018 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. All three judges sided with the Long Islander: 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46. Lee had “The Ultimate Fighter 15” finalist right where he wanted him on more than one occasion, as he advanced to Iaquinta’s back, secured his position with a body triangle and fished for the rear-naked choke in the second and third rounds. However, he could not close the deal. Iaquinta—who had also taken a unanimous decision from Lee at UFC 169 in 2014—weathered his efforts and put his foot on the gas in the fourth and fifth rounds, where he blasted the Xtreme Couture export with a variety of strikes, set him on unsteady legs and improved to 2-0 in their head-to-head series against one another.

Donald Cerrone

Cerrone’s ferocity was too much to bear, even for “Raging Al,” as crushing kicks and savage multi-punch bursts spurred “Cowboy” to a unanimous decision over Iaquinta in the UFC Fight Night 151 main event on May 4, 2019 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Cerrone put forth a sublime performance and carried all three scorecards with room to spare: 49-45, 49-45 and 49-46. The first 10 minutes were competitive, but Cerrone found another gear in the third round and never looked back. He tenderized Iaquinta’s upper and lower leg with kicks while chewing up his face with searing jabs and combinations of two, three and four punches or more. Iaquinta refused to buckle but hit the deck on multiple occasions: on a jab in the third round, a pair of front kicks in the fourth and a hailstorm of strikes in the waning moments fifth, where perhaps only the bell saved him. By the time it was over, he was barely recognizable.