Al Iaquinta says he's still unhappy with contract – then F-bombs UFC

NASHVILLE – UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta was scratching an itch to compete when he faced off with veteran Diego Sanchez after two years away from the sport. But his return could be short-lived.

But fresh off a first-round knockout win, Iaquinta is not sure he wants to pick up where he left off in his career – at least at his current rate of pay.

“I really enjoy selling real estate,” Iaquinta (13-3-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) told MMAjunkie after his win over Sanchez (27-10 MMA, 16-10 UFC)  at Bridgestone Arena in the FS1-televised co-headliner of UFC Fight Night 108. “I got my fix for fighting for now, so I’m good for now.

“I’ve just thought about tonight. I just wanted to get in there and have fun, and that’s exactly what I did. (UFC on FOX 25) would be awesome, something I’d really love to do, but I’m not going to do for the contract I have now. Probably not. Definitely not for a top opponent.

“These guys are dangerous. I’m not going in there to get paid what I’m getting paid to get hurt. If I’m out for two years, where am I going to make any money?”

Soon after his backstage interview, Iaquinta, who recently took a two-year hiatus from the sport due a knee injury and perceived disrespect from UFC officials, penned a fresh round of complaints. It seemed to stem from is lack of an official UFC fight-night bonus (via Twitter):

The New York-born Iaquinta, who previously trashed a hotel room after UFC 183, is tempted by the thought of fighting on home soil with the upcoming UFC on FOX 25 card at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. But “The Ultimate Fighter 15” finalist still thinks he’s not getting enough compensation to justify the risk.

“I don’t know if the money’s worth everything I go through to do this,” said Iaquinta, who called for a new contract after his win (and also plugged his day job as a realtor). “It worked out tonight, but it’s not going to be that easy. There’s a lot of years lost that I’m not making any money, and I’m not making sponsorship, and I’m in the video game, and I haven’t gotten a dollar for it.”

These complaints led Iaquinta to briefly retire from the sport in 2015. He became a real estate agent and appeared to be content with his decision to call it quits until he decided earlier this year to return to the octagon.

For beating Sanchez, Iaquinta indicated he made $26,000 to show, so he’ll presumably take home another $26,000 as a win bonus for the impressive victory. That won’t be enough to keep him around for good, he said.

But for now, he’ll just enjoy himself after a good win and see what happens next. Maybe he’ll get what he wants from the UFC, or maybe he’ll go back to real estate. He’s gotten his fix, for as long as it lasts.

For more on UFC Fight Night 108, check out the UFC Events section of the site.