Iaquinta, Villante, Weidman added to UFC 205 Fight Card

Photo Credit (L to R): Villante – Sherdog.com Iaquinta – Sherdog.com Weidman – theMMAcorner.com

UFC fighters and Long Island natives Al Iaquinta, Gian Villante and Chris Weidman are set to not only make MMA history, but their dreams of fighting in their home state come true, as the three are the latest to get their names added to the inaugural New York fight card, UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden on November 12^th.

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman (13-1-0) is set to face #4 ranked Middleweight Yoel Romero. Weidman has been a top advocate, if not the most of all, to get mixed martial arts legalized in the Empire State. If he was still the reigning champion at 185-pounds, Weidman would have been the picture perfect main event bout for the fight. After losing the UFC gold to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194 in December, the Baldwin native has been on the sidelines, even under-going neck surgery following his withdrawal from UFC 199 in June due to injury. This is Romero’s first fight back in the octagon following his six-month suspension for his USADA violation.

Although the official announcement has yet to be released, rising UFC Lightweight Al Iaquinta (12-3-1) is highly speculated to face Thiago Alves. Like his Serra-Longo teammate, Iaquinta has spent some time out of the octagon following his split-decision win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight Night: Mendes vs. Lamas in April of 2015.

Iaquinta, who is currently on a four-fight win streak, took the last year off to undergo knee surgery after his expected bout versus Gilbert Melendez at UFC Fight Night 71 in June of 2015 was cancelled due to Melendez’s USADA violation.

Most recent to join the highly anticipated card is UFC Light Heavyweight Gian Villante (14-7-0). Villante is set to face TUF: Brazil 3 contestant Marcos Rogério de Lima. Villante, the UFC’s #15 ranked LHW, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Ilir Latifi at UFC 196 in March.

With bout’s being added almost daily, UFC 205 is on the right track to be a fan-favorite event, especially for Long Islanders.

So who would you like to join the Long Island boys at the World’s Most Famous Arena? Top ranked bantamweight Aljamain Sterling? Or Long Island MMA’s Chris Wade and Ryan LaFlare?