Check out a new episode of The Ultimate Fighter TUF Live tonight, 10pm on FX. Find out what Al’s been up to and see if Cristiano Marcello can win his fight against Justin Lawrence and gain control back for Team Faber. Many feel the fight may be one of the best we see all season. Be sure to watch and check back here tomorrow for an episode recap. Everyone enjoy and have a great weekend.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of sitting down with Al’s trainer Ray Longo and asking him some questions about Al and his involvement on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. I appreciate him taking the time out of his busy day to sit with me and answer some questions.
Ray Longo’s resume is an impressive one. He’s a world class boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai coach who has trained countless fighters both at professional and amateur levels. His lengthy résumé as a trainer includes preparing 9 UFC Fighters for competition including Matt Serra, Nick Serra, Pete Sell, Luke Cummo, Chris Weidman, Costantinos Philippou, Al Iaquinta, George Sotiropoulos, and Rodrigo Gracie. Ray is also one of the few certified Jeetkunedo instructors under Richard Bustillo, Tom Batell and Paul Vunak. Ray founded IMAA (International Martial Arts Academy) in 1990 and continues to train fighters for all different levels of competition.
If your looking to watch the full first episode and see all 16 fights including Al’s to enter the house check it out HERE courtesy of UltimateFighter.com and be sure to tune into FX tomorrow night at 10pm for a brand new episode of TUF LIVE.
Check out this great video from Newsday.com where Al answers a few questions courtesy of Newsday’s Mark La Monica. Very special thank you to him for putting these Q and A’s together with Al. Be sure to follow him on twitter @LaMonicaMark Check out the video HERE!
Back in 2009 I spent a day with Al Iaquinta and had a chance to interview him leading up to one of his fights. Here’s the VIDEO( Shot by Mark Cersosimo Produced by Matt Pellicane) The video is a great insight into Al’s background, a typical training day, and even shows some clips of Al hitting pads with trainer Ray Longo. Video also includes a brief interview with Longo discussing Al’s fighting style, why he chose the gym, and his first impression of Iaquinta. Keep your eyes open for an interview with Ray Longo later this week who will answer a lot of important questions about Al being on this season of TUF.
Photo by Ultimatefighter.com
At the end of last weeks episode James Vick’s win gave Team Cruz control to pick the next fight. After Cruz selected his number one pick Justin Lawrence, he threw Faber a curve ball and asked him to select who he wanted from his team to square off against Lawrence. You could tell Faber was thrown off by Cruz’s offer, and after a moment asked his team who was ready to go and take the next fight. Yet after several seconds of silence no one from Team Faber stood up. Continue Reading
On June 17th 2011 Al Iaquinta and Gabriel Miglioli went to war, in what many consider one of the best mixed martial arts fights they’ve ever seen. After being nearly knocked out in the first round, Iaquinta battled his way back to a hard fought split decision victory, showing his heart and determination. Then three months later the two fought again, this time for the Ring Of Combat Lightweight title. Check out video highlighting both fights HERE, and a big thank you to http://www.ringfever.com as well as Mark La Monica for posting.
Urijah Faber gained a lot of fans from Long Island NY last night by making a great move and selecting Al Iaquinta with his first team pick. After Cruz selected top ranked Justin Lawrence with the number one overall pick, Faber countered by drafting one of the toughest, hardest working guys in the house, Al Iaquinta. Many believed Faber would pick Mike Rio first, and while Al’s pick may have been unexpected it’s a move that Faber will undoubtedly not regret. Faber went on to say that he felt Al had “a lot of potential, and a lot of room for growth.” He also based his pick on the fact that Al has had great coaching from Ray Longo and Matt Serra. Both coaches went on to select their respected teams. Although both teams are very solid many believe Team Faber has the advantage. What are your thoughts? Continue Reading
Make sure to check out Al on a brand new episode of The Ultimate Fighter LIVE tonight. The show will be an hour long and air on FX at 10pm. The beginning of the show will catch you up on what Al and the other fighters have been up to for the past week. Well also find out which fighters Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz selected to their respected teams. Continue Reading
As most of you all ready know this season of TUF is LIVE for the first time. In the past when the show was pre recorded fighters were not allowed to have any contact with the outside world. This was crucial so the public wouldn’t have any idea what happened until the show aired on TV. Many people assumed that same rule would apply on this season as well. Continue Reading
Iaquinta Nation 