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Al Iaquinta Contract Dispute Nixes UFC New York Bout

Al Iaquinta Contract Dispute Nixes UFC New York Bout

Al Iaquinta vs. Thiago Alves was the first bout revealed for UFC 205, slated for Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The bout has been nixed after Iaquinta pulled out of the fight due to a contract dispute.

While the bout had long been verbally agreed to, when Iaquinta mulled over his bout agreement, he determined that he couldn't move forward under the given terms, according to an interview he did with FOX Sports reporter Damon Martin.

“I got the contract and I was just looking at it for a couple of days. I was like I just can't sign it. I can't do it,” Iaquinta told FOX Sports. “I felt like it wasn't right. I talked to my manager. I said, listen I really want to fight in New York. There's nothing I want to do more than fight in New York, but I can't take a pay cut for this fight.”

Much of the dispute comes from Iaquinta's current contract being negotiated prior to the UFC-Reebok uniform deal, which precludes fighters from promoting their personal endorsements not only during fights, but also in official lead-up events the week of the fight, such as press conferences and weigh-ins.

Iaquinta argues that, like several other fighters have argued since the deal began, he can't afford to lose his endorsement money, which was a significant portion of his pay. Iaquinta told Martin that he made more money off of a single sponsor for past fights than the $5,000 tier that he qualifies for under the Reebok sponsorship system.

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This was all compounded by the fact that Iaquinta has been on the shelf for nearly a year and a half due to a knee injury that he believes he suffered during his time on The Ultimate Fighter reality series. The knee has been repaired, but paying for his medical care was another battle. Iaquinta detailed a lengthy back and forth process with UFC officials over payment of the medical expenses.

At the end of the day, Iaquinta and the UFC appear to be at an impasse; one in which Iaquinta is unwilling to relent.

“Before these injuries, I might have fought for $10, but you see things through a different spectrum. I thought my career was over,” said Iaquinta.

“I got my personal training, I got my real estate license, and I'm living comfortably. I don't need to fight now. If I did take this fight, I would have to stop everything else I was doing and I wouldn't make money and there's got to be some stability.”

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