Al Iaquinta would fight either Tony Ferguson or Mike Perry next, trash-talks both

UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta is waiting for a raise, first and foremost.

Iaquinta (13-3-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) wants more than a potential $32,000 when he steps inside the octagon, and he’ll stick to real estate in the meantime. Assuming he gets that and goes back to fighting, though, he hopes to meet Tony Ferguson or welterweight Mike Perry.

On Ferguson (22-3 MMA, 12-1 UFC), Iaquinta is beefing with the lightweight contender over not taking an interim title fight, which might entice Iaquinta to come out of semi-retirement.

Iaquinta lost respect for Ferguson when he turned down a short-notice fight with Michael Johnson at UFC 209 and didn’t get his full show money.

“I don’t blame him for not taking the fight, because they were offering him less money,” Iaquinta told MMAjunkie. “But just to leave and go home with less money and not say a word to anybody – he just kind of put his tail between his legs and went home – he’s got no honor.

“He’s got no respect for himself. Stand up for yourself. Tell (UFC President) Dana White, ‘You’ve got to pay me.'”

Iaquinta has primed the pump, so to speak, calling out Ferguson on Twitter. So far, a contract has yet to materialize.

“‘The Boogeyman’ is hiding,” Iaquinta said. “Tony Ferguson’s gone. I tweet five things at him on Twitter, and he comes back with one dumbass thing.”

Then there’s Perry (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and a potential jump to 170 pounds. Apparently, Iaquinta is doing his best to goad the surging welterweight into a fight.

“I kind of like him after I met him, but he’s dumb as rocks,” Iaquinta said. “I’m way too smart in the cage for him; I think way too much in there. I can tell he’s not thinking; he’s just throwing bombs hoping to land something. It happened against the guys he’s fought, but it’s not going to happen against me.”

All Iaquinta needs to do is handle his business with the UFC. Then he can get to settling scores.

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