Long Island UFC Lightweight Iaquinta out of UFC 205

(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

*slowly whimpers to self* Not another one!

After a verbal agreement had been made for a lightweight bout between Long Island’s Al Iaquinta and UFC welterweight-turned-lightweight Thiago Alves only weeks ago, the match up has now been scratched from the card due to a contract issue with Iaquinta.

During the last year and half where Iaquinta was on the sidelines due to knee surgery, the UFC adapted some major changes. The biggest change being the uniform-deal with Reebok, preventing fighters from wearing their sponsors logos in the octagon and during fight week. “I got the contract and I was just looking at it for a couple days. I was like I just can’t sign it. I can’t do it. I felt like it wasn’t right,” the UFC lightweight told FOX Sports. “I talked to my manager, I said listen I really want to fight in New York. There’s nothing I want to do more than fight in new York, but I can’t take a pay cut for this fight.”

Iaquinta is just one of the many UFC fighters who took a huge pay-cut from losing sponsors once the Reebok deal was in place. Place that on top of not being active in the octagon for almost 18 months, it’s enough to knock out anyone’s savings account. Currently he is on a four-fight deal with the UFC, scheduled to make $26,000 to show and $26,000 to win. Plus add on to that he is prohibited from earning any fight night bonuses for his next three fights due to three separate occasions where Iaquinta fond himself in hot water with the promotion, including cursing on a live television broadcast and trashing a hotel room.

While seeing as many NY-breed fighters on the historical card as possible would really add to the already sentimental card, you can’t blame him for looking out for his well-being and his future.  “God forbid I get injured again and I’ve got nothing left because I spent it all on the last injury, keeping my head above water,” Iaquinta explained to FOX Sports. ” If anything were to happen, there would be nothing left. It scared me. Even if I do win, I’m going to have to fight again in a couple months. Am I going to be able to walk up a flight of stairs with my kids when I get older? Am I going to be able to play with them? Probably not. Is it worth this money? No.”

So we won’t see him at Madison Square Garden, but at least the withdrawal isn’t due to a career threatening injury. With MMA now legalized in the Empire State, there will be more fight cards for the 155-pounder to throw down on, maybe even at the new Nassau Coliseum in 2017?