Ray Longo and Al Iaquinta at UFC Fight Night 63
UFC Fight Night 71 is getting a big lightweight addition with the announcement that Al Iaquinta (12-3-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will face Bobby Green (23-6 MMA, 4-1 UFC) at the event.
The bout was announced on Fox Sports 1 following the conclusion of UFC 186.
UFC Fight Night 71 takes place July 15 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. The majority of the card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Iaquinta is coming off a controversial split decision victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight Night 63. While the win over Masvidal was important, it was Iaquinta’s post-fight explosion at the booing crowd that became the story of the event. The victory extended the winning streak of Iaquinta to four.
Green had his own eight-fight winning streak snapped in his most recent bout, dropping a unanimous decision to Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 57. Green had not tasted defeat since a split decision loss to Gesias Cavalcante in July 2011. The 28-year-old suffered a torn quadricep tendon which forced him out of a UFC Fight Night 63 bout and required surgery.
With both men sitting just outside the top ten in the official UFC rankings, this is a fight that has serious ramifications in the division.
With the addition, UFC Fight Night 71 now includes:
- Todd Duffee vs. Frank Mir
- Bobby Green vs. Al Iaquinta
- Tony Ferguson vs. Josh Thomson
- Igor Araujo vs. Sean Strickland
- Manny Gamburyan vs. Scott Jorgensen
- Matt Dwyer vs. Alan Jouban
- Kevin Lee vs. James Moontasri
For more on UFC Fight Night 71, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
