“Raging” Al Iaquinta had not stepped foot inside the octagon for over two years when he met Diego “Lionheart” Sanchez once their co-main event had kicked off. Yet, it looked like Iaquinta didn’t miss a beat as he walked out with his hands raised in victory while taking minimal damage. Iaquinta also made history in his return, becoming the first fighter to score a clean knockout win over Sanchez in UFC history. (Lauzon’s win over Sanchez at UFC 200 was a TKO.)
Fighters who spend any longer than eight months away from the octagon collect “ring rust”. While some fighters have stated that they believe in no such thing, others have attributed it to their poor performance from a lengthy layoff.
Iaquinta did not have to make the awkward decision to throw in “ring rust” in his post-fight speech as he left the octagon with his hands held high above his head. Iaquinta looked in prime condition, meeting Sanchez in the middle of the octagon with no caution.
Sanchez tried out his new style of fighting where he did not swing for the fences right off the bat; It did not pay off, however, as Sanchez was folded by Iaquinta’s punch as soon as he made it back up to his feet from a prior knockdown. The referee stepped in to wave the fight off to prevent Sanchez from taking additional punishment. Check out the highlights in the clip below:
Who do you think will meet Iaquinta in the octagon next?
