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On Saturday November 8, New York-native Al Iaquinta will do battle against Ross Pearson in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Rockhold versus Bisping at the Allphones Arena.
A member of the Serra-Longo fight team, Iaquinta has flown into the harbour city with a throng of supporters and teammates from the east coast.
Chief among them is current UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.
At the official press conference held at the Sydney Opera House, Weidman shared his thoughts on the upcoming main event.
“It could be a quick night, it can be. The tougher it goes, the better fight it’s going to be. Bisping needs to frustrate him. That should be his goal. It’s going to be a tough fight.”
“I think the best gameplan for [Bisping] is to kind of stay away, use his footwork to frustrate him. Rockhold is the bigger and stronger guy.”
The match-up is noteworthy for Weidman as it pits two of the top UFC middleweights vying for a top contender spot.
“In the future, definitely,” he said “they both could be a title shot guy.”
“Stylistically, it doesn’t matter either one. I think Rockhold is more of an athlete. Bisping is a tested guy, he’s been in there for a long time. He’s very experienced so he’s got that going for him. Both of them have something that they bring to the table but I’d be confident against either one of them.
In particular, Weidman’s friendship with Rockhold could complicate a potential fight. Yet the champ isn’t too worried.
“I don’t have to look at this thing as more than it is,” Weidman said “It’s a competition. I go out there and I fight. I spar with my best friends and I’d try to dominate him as bad as he’d try to dominate me.”
Given the long journey from the U.S., Weidman is hopeful for an entertaining show.
“I want to see it go the distance. Like at least a three or four round fight.”
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