Al Iaquinta Expects Donald Cerrone To Go For Takedowns During UFC on ESPN+ 9 Fight

In an interview with MMA Weekly, Al Iaquinta said that he expects his UFC on ESPN+ 9 opponent Donald Cerrone to dive for takedowns in their fight tonight. Here are highlights:

On Cerrone going for the takedown: “I honestly think he’s going to try to take me down. I think there’s a good shot. He’s been wrestling more in his fights so I think he’ll use his kicks, try to wrestle if it gets to that. I think he’s just going to be in there, he’s going to enjoy fighting but very quickly I don’t think he’s going to be enjoying it.”

On his busy schedule: I’ve been inactive in the past and now I’m more active than I’ve ever been and after every win, I keep building and building and getting more comfortable. Before that Khabib [Nurmagomedov] fight, I had fought 90 seconds in like three or four years. I was going into that fight off a tremendous layoff. Now I built off that into the Kevin Lee fight and now into this one, I’m going to keep building and building and I keep feeling better and better. It’s all coming together.”

On if he can handle a longer fight: “I think I’m a first-round finisher that picks it up as the fight goes on. If I don’t get him out of there in the first round, I pick up steam, too. I think the five rounds is in my benefit and I think him starting slow is in my benefit, too. He’s going to have to pull out a trick somewhere but it’s going to be all me.”

On being dominant: “Everyone says ‘this has the makings to be a great fight, ‘Fight of the Night’, blah, blah, blah. That’s not what I’m in there to do. I’m in there to make it look seamless, easy and if it’s anything other than that, I’ll be ready because I’ve been putting in the work.”