Heavy stakes at lightweight: Iaquinta, Cerrone must step up to move up
It appears as if the UFC’s lightweight division is reopening its doors for big business, making Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event in Ottawa between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Al Iaquinta all the more relevant.
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For the past two years, the 155-pound division has arguably been the UFC’s deepest, most frustrating weight class. Conor McGregor set it on fire in late 2016 when he claimed the undisputed title in a knockout victory over Eddie Alvarez. Khabib Nurmagomedov gave it a new identity in 2018 with a dominant win over McGregor in October.
There have been watershed moments — just very few of them. Periods of inactivity from McGregor and Nurmagomedov (plus Tony Ferguson and Nate Diaz) have stalled out the division at times. But things might finally be looking up.
There’s hope that many of the top names at lightweight are about to resurface, and every matchup in this division going to matter. It’s going to matter, and not just from the standpoint of wins and losses, either. It’s going to matter what’s said in the buildup — and who calls out whom immediately after the fights are over.
Any loud victory on Saturday might offer Cerrone or Iaquinta the timing and platform to call his next shot. Energy is building at 155 pounds. Pay close attention.
UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta discusses what makes him furious by using the Raging Al-O-Meter to quantify his anger.
22: UFC victories for Cerrone (16 at lightweight, six at welterweight), the most of any fighter in the promotion’s history. Tied for second place, with 20 UFC wins, are Michael Bisping, Georges St-Pierre and Demian Maia.
7-0: Iaquinta’s record in fights that have ended by KO/TKO. He is 1-3 in fights ending in submission.
18: Knockdowns by Cerrone in his UFC career, tying him with Anderson Silva and Jeremy Stephens for most all time.
7: Knockdowns by Iaquinta in his UFC career, the most by a lightweight who has never been knocked down in the Octagon.
88.9: Percent of opponent takedown attempts successfully fended off by Cerrone in the UFC — third best in lightweight history.
Source: ESPN Stats & Information
Cerrone had a memorable rivalry with former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. They met twice for the WEC’s 155-pound belt, in 2009 and 2010, with Henderson winning both times. In the second meeting, he handed “Cowboy” the only submission loss of his 47-fight career.
Cerrone was the winner by unanimous decision when they met again at UFC Fight Night in Boston in 2015. They had swapped hats during a prefight news event, transforming into Donald “Smooth” Cerrone and Benson “Cowboy” Henderson.
Iaquinta’s recent results
Win: Kevin Lee (UD), Dec. 15, 2018
Loss: Khabib Nurmagomedov (UD), April 7, 2018
Win: Diego Sanchez (KO1), April 22, 2017
Win: Jorge Masvidal (SD), April 4, 2015
Win: Joe Lauzon (TKO2), Jan. 31, 2015
Cerrone’s recent results
Win: Alexander Hernandez (TKO2), Jan. 19, 2019
Win: Mike Perry (SUB1), Nov. 10, 2018
Loss: Leon Edwards (UD), June 23, 2018
Win: Yancy Medeiros (TKO1), Feb. 18, 2018
Loss: Darren Till (TKO1), Oct. 21, 2017
“He’s just really tough, man. He’s going to be very durable. We’re just gonna stand in the middle of the ring and give it hell. I’m pumped, man.” — Cerrone during a fan Q&A on Wednesday in Ottawa
“I was at his fight in Brooklyn, and he got the biggest pop out of any fighter. They announced his name and that crowd went crazy. He’s a fan favorite. People love him. So there are going to be a lot of eyes on this fight. I really think it’s a great fight for me, stylistically, mentality-wise, everything.” — Iaquinta, during an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show
Cowboy at his best:
Iaquinta’s stock has never been higher. His talent has never been a question, and he’s now fighting consistently enough to build momentum. He looked extremely confident in his last fight against Kevin Lee. Not that he even needed to turn a corner, but he turned one nevertheless in that fight.
Brett Okamoto’s prediction: Iaquinta by TKO, fourth round.
Home-cage advantage
Elias Theodorou is an Ontario guy. He was born in Toronto, raised in nearby Mississauga, and on Saturday he fights a few hours’ drive away in Ottawa.
This bodes well for the 30-year-old middleweight, who faces Derek Brunson in the co-main event.
Theodorou (17-2) has fought 12 times in Canada and won all of those fights, including five in the UFC. That ties him with St-Pierre for most UFC wins in Canada without a loss. They’re second to John Makdessi (8) for most UFC wins in Canada overall.
Fighting runs in the family
At least there was never a question about what gym Aiemann Zahabi would use for training. The 31-year-old bantamweight is the younger brother of top trainer Firas Zahabi, whose Tristar Gym in Montreal has been the home of St-Pierre, Rory MacDonald and many other elite fighters.
Aiemann Zahabi made his UFC debut in February 2017 and ran his pro record to 7-0. Later that year at UFC 217 — the same Los Angeles event at which his training partner, GSP, became middleweight champ — Zahabi was looking good in his prelim against Ricardo Ramos before his aggressiveness cost him, as Ramos caught him with a spinning elbow that brutally put out the lights.
In his first fight back, almost 18 months later, Zahabi takes on Vince Morales during Saturday’s prelims. Zahabi has missed the Octagon, he told UFC.com, and is especially looking forward to hearing the voice of announcer Bruce Buffer.
“Everything is business until he says I win,” Zahabi said. “And once he says that, there is no feeling like it in the world.”