[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 11, 2018, 3:53 PM]
Al Iaquinta believes Kevin Lee could prove to be tougher than Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Iaquinta has been inside the Octagon with both Lee and Nurmagomedov. “Raging” admits he has seen an improvement in Lee’s game as well as maturity. Iaquinta’s last bout was against “The Eagle.” Iaquinta lost the bout via unanimous decision. “Raging” was peppered on the feet and had no answer for Nurmagomedov’s relentless takedown attempts.
Al Iaquinta Gives Kevin Lee Props
Iaquinta recently spoke to reporters during a media scrum. He said “The Motown Phenom” may have even more grit and determination than Nurmagomedov (via MMAFighting.com):
“Everything was correct about this and nothing was correct about the last one. It was like injuries, coming off that Khabib fight I was still banged up. It was quick. I wasn’t happy with a few other things. It just wasn’t right. This is definitely a better fight. I think it’s an intriguing matchup. Just everything. Everything about it, I like. He’s just as tough, if not tougher [than Gaethje]. He might even be just as tough, if not tougher than Khabib. I was sitting front row at his last fight with (Edson) Barboza and I was like, ‘F*ck, I don’t want to be Barboza right now.’ It was brutal, it was not fun to watch. So, I’m training my ass off. I want to be the one doing that to him, for sure.”
Iaquinta vs. Lee II will headline the final UFC on FOX event on Dec. 15. In their first encounter back in Feb. 2014, “Raging” emerged victorious via unanimous decision.
What do you think another win over Kevin Lee does for Al Iaquinta?
