Lättviktaren ”Raging” Al Iaquinta (12-3-1) blev oerhört glad när han fick reda på att det var Gilbert ”El Nino” Melendez (22-5) som skulle ersätta Bobby ”King” Green vid UFC Fight Night 71.
”Raging” Al Iaquinta blev väldigt glad när han gavs beskedet om att UFC ersatt hans ursprungliga motståndare Bobby ”King” Green med den tidigare Strikeforce-mästaren Gilbert ”El Nino” Melendez vid UFC Fight Night 71 delade huvudmatch. Iaquinta berättar till Submission Radio att han visualiserat matchen vid ett flertal tillfällen redan och att han alltid ser sin hand bli höjd i slutet av matchen. Iaquinta har vunnit fyra raka matcher i UFC men en vinst över Melendez hade varit värd mer än de andra fyra kombinerat:
”This is what I’ve been dreaming about. I don’t think he’s been dreaming about a fight with number 13 ranked Al Iaquinta, but I’ve been dreaming about a match up with a top five guy to get me up there. So I’ve definitely been visualizing this moment and I’ve been visualizing it every way possible, and however it goes down I’m coming out with my hand raised. Oh man I was ecstatic. I was going crazy. First, you know going crazy in a bad way once I heard Bobby Green was out, and you don’t know who you’re going to get. He was an opponent ranked above me, so you know it has really good benefits to beat a guy like that. You always see guys on TV and you look at them, you size ’em up, and I’m like, I wonder how I’d do against these guys? And now I’m gonna get to find out. It was kind of like the same thing when I fought, really my last three fights. It’s the same feeling. It’s awesome to get in there with guys that you’ve always wondered, and now going in there, I know I’m ready. I’ve worked hard enough for it, so I’m ready for this opportunity for sure”.
Foto: Daniel Patinkin
