Iaquinta on Alves: 'I think I just want to hit him pretty good'

Al Iaquinta hasn't fought for a long time due to injury. He intends to return at UFC 205, the first UFC card in New York, and he already has an opponent in mind. It's actually an opponent that has apparently been asking to fight him for months, even though he was still rehabbing his knee and unable to fight. That man is Thiago Alves, and Iaquinta seems a bit bewildered in regards to why Alves wants to fight him so badly (via MMA Junkie Radio):

"They had kept asking me for Thiago Alves for like, frickin’ six months. I said, ‘Don’t ask me about a fight. I’ll be ready when I’m ready and I’ll let you know when I’m ready.’ It was like June, July, August. Every month it was like, ‘Do you want to fight Thiago Alves?’ ‘I’m not ready. When I’m ready I’ll let you know.’ That was really annoying. I would have thought he got the point. I don’t know why he wants to fight me so bad coming off an injury. Maybe he thinks ’cause I’m coming off an injury I’m a good fight or something.

"He really pissed me off with this whole wanting to fight me thing," he continued. "I think I really just want to hit him pretty good. He wants to fight me, I want to fight him. I’m sure he wants to fight in New York. I want to fight in New York. So let’s do it."

Iaquinta (12-3-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is currently on a four-fight winning streak, but hasn't stepped into the cage since a close decision win over Jorge Masvidal in April 2015. Alves (21-10, 13-7 UFC) has also been on the sidelines for a while, not competing since a May 2015 loss to Carlos Condit. He has made his intentions to drop to 155 very clear over the last year, but injuries have kept him out of the cage and he still hasn't made his lightweight debut.

Will we see this bout at UFC 205? It remains to be seen, but it would be a pretty good addition to the MSG card on November 12th.