UFC President Dana White recently revealed that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) plans on moving the official weigh-ins back to 4 pm, rather than the morning weigh-ins that have occurred over the past two years. The announcement has since largely been met with backlash by many on the promotion’s roster.
UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta has now decided to reveal that he has no plans to return to afternoon weigh-ins after experiencing the ability to re-hydrate for longer through the morning procedure. Speaking to ESPN, Iaquinta made his thoughts known.
“I’m going to weigh-in and then I’m going to start eating. I signed a contract under the assumption we are weighing in in the morning, so we are. There will be no afternoon weigh-in, 100 percent.”
“Dana is out of line, and this is the last straw. They’ve never seen anyone like me. I will do everything in my power to make sure this is done the right way. We are weighing in in the morning.”
“That was me saying, ‘I’m not freaking Yair Rodriguez.’ You cut me, I’m not crying and coming back. Dana White has no power over me. That guy has zero power over me.”
“I’ve got to keep fighting inside the cage and out. The UFC needs a person like me, because I love this sport and Dana — I don’t know if he loves this anymore. I think he’s just addicted to the spotlight and making it all about him.
“The more Dana White gets in front of a mic, the stronger we get. The more he opens his mouth, the more [Project Spearhead] forms we fill out. The fighters have gotten a taste of what it feels like to get a full, almost 36 hours of time to rehydrate. I’ve reached out to more than enough people to know that if he moves that, it will the last straw that does him in.”
