Al Iaquinta lists ‘brutal’ injuries from loss to Donald Cerrone

Bloodyelbow.com

Al Iaquinta has detailed the injuries he sustained in his unanimous decision loss earlier to this month to Donald Cerrone.

Coming into the fight with Cerrone, Iaquinta was coming off a big decision win over Kevin Lee. Meanwhile, Cerrone had won his last two fights impressively against Mike Perry and Alexander Hernandez. Talking recently on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Iaquinta discussed the toll Cerrone’s strikes took on him in the fight.

“I broke my nose, I fractured my (right) orbital bone and had some deep bruising on my legs because of those kicks,” Iaquinta said. “(The bruising from the kicks) was brutal. I’m just finally starting to be able to move around. It took its toll. That won’t happen again, that’s for sure. (Transcription via MMA Junkie)

“He hit me with a stiff jab that I don’t know if it broke my nose, it cut my nose open,” Iaquinta said. “He hit me with a bunch of shots so it could have been any one. He did cut me open; that could’ve been the one. I think it was somewhere in the third round where he caught me in the eye, the third or the fourth round. It definitely affected my vision, and it definitely was something tough to fight through. But it is what it is. I train to be in those situations.”

Although Iaquinta was the betting favourite going into the fight, Cerrone turned the fight into his favour from the moment he landed a knockdown at the end of the third round. Iaquinta said he had every chance to win the fight, but Cerrone’s veteran experience was ultimately too much on the night.

“I had every opportunity to win the fight, and I should’ve, but I didn’t,” Iaquinta said. “He beat the (expletive) out of me the way a veteran gets it done. He’s good, man. He’s good.”

Whilst the timeline for Iaquinta’s return at lightweight is uncertain, Cerrone will fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 238 on June.