By all accounts, Al Iaquinta should be inching close to title contention in the UFC’s deepest and most talent-rich division. The New York native is on an 8-1 run since The Ultimate Fighter 15 and has proven to be an entertaining and destructive force at 155 pounds. But instead, even after punctuating his five-fight win streak with a 98-second mauling of Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 108, Iaquinta appears to remain persona non grata within UFC circles.
Iaquinta’s frustration was evident enough on Saturday night. After spending two years away from the sport due to injuries and unsuccessful contract negotiations with the UFC, Iaquinta blew the doors off Sanchez in his long-awaited return, then tweeted several variations of “f*ck you” to the UFC after it was announced that Iaquinta had once again been left off the UFC’s post-fight bonus list for an extra $50,000.