Al Iaquinta explains why Justin Gaethje fight does’t interest him right now

Al Iaquinta was recently called out by former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje, who he was briefly scheduled to fight this summer. For the moment, however, this is not a fight that Iaquinta is especially interested in.

“I’m looking up in the rankings,” Iaquinta told MMAjunkie Radio. “I think Gaethje, he’s kind of had his opportunity, and he chose to fight Vick. He wanted to do what was best for him, so now I’m going to do what’s best for me. Fighting below me in the rankings is definitely not (it). It’s a good fight, but I think there’s guys that’ll put me right up there. Those are the guys I’m gunning for.

“And I think that the fans want that, and the UFC wants that, so I think everyone is on the same page, except for him.”

While Al Iaquinta isn’t thrilled about the notion of a fight with Justin Gaethje, he says he’d leap at the chance to fight Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson or Conor McGregor.

“I could see it being any one of those top three guys, really – Ferguson, Conor or Dustin,” Iaquinta said. “I think it’ll be one of those guys.”

“I think all three of those guys … a good win over any one of them puts me right up there to get that title shot again,” he added. “I put on a better fight than Conor did against Khabib, so I think he should have to fight somebody (before an immediate rematch). … And I beat Kevin Lee, who I think is another guy that would give Conor tons and tons of trouble.”

Al Iaquinta last fought in December, when he catapulted into title contention with an upset defeat of Kevin Lee. Who do you want to see him fight next?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/14/2019.