Top ten ranked UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta spoke to the Independent about his plans for the year ahead and how he is targeting both a place on the UFC’s first event in New York and a shot at the UFC lightweight belt.

Iaquinta is currently recovering from knee surgery that he underwent last year on a long term injury problem that he sustained earlier on in his MMA career. Speaking today, Iaquinta said that he was taking his rehab very seriously and that he was going above and beyond what the experts had advised him in order to come back better than ever.

“I’m taking my time and listening to the doctors,” said Iaquinta.

“It’s kind of frustrating as I just want to get in there and go but I’ve had enough injuries to know that’s not what I need to do so I’m just listening to the doctors and even being a little more conservative so it heals up the right way.

“I’m doing everything I can do to make sure it goes right. I’m being meticulous with everything I do to just make sure that I’m doing it the right way.”

During his time on the sidelines, Iaquinta has fulfilled a promise he made to his Grandmother during his youth. The Long Island native is currently back at school completing his studies and unlike his childhood, he’s enjoying being back in the classroom this time around.

He said: “I’m back at school, I’m going to Farmingdale State College. I always told my Grandma I’d go back and this was the perfect opportunity for me to do it.

“I’m just trying to learn a little bit, educate myself. It’s good it’s keeping me busy, if not I’d just be going out every night and getting freakin hammered so I’m just trying to keep myself occupied and not fall off. I’m on a good road right now.”

While he has channelled some of his energy elsewhere, Iaquinta hasn’t for one second taken his eyes off the UFC lightweight division and he thinks there are plenty of attractive opponents out there for him when he does return later this year.

“I’m looking at everyone ahead of me and all of those top ten guys for sure,” revealed Iaquinta.

“Bobby Green has that fight with Poirier but I’d love to whoop up on that guy he is out of his mind. He just doesn’t get the way the world works. Eddie Alvarez is another guy but he thinks he’s getting a title shot which he won’t be – I think he’s got to do a little more.

“Khabib (Nuermagomedov) is another. I’d have loved to have hopped in for Tony Ferguson and taken that opportunity but I think Cerrone will get it,” he said speaking about the Ferguson pulling out a fight with the Russian earlier this week with an injury.

“If it was a month or two later I would have jumped straight in there because he’s been calling me out. I think he thinks he’d be a good matchup for me but I’d knock his head off. Anyway, I’m not too worried about him I’m just worried about myself.”

As a resident of the state of New York, until two weeks ago Iaquinta had forever lived in a state where professional mixed martial arts had been illegal.

To the delight of Iaquinta and of course MMA fans all around the world, common sense finally prevailed with the New York State Assembly finally allowing a vote to be cast on the bill and the inevitable legalisation of the sport finally came to fruition.

The news of course, delighted Iaquinta who said he wanted nothing more than to fight in front of his family and friends at Madison Square Garden.

“It was awesome man, so great,” said Iaquinta with a broad smile across his face.

“I was watching the hearing at my house and streaming it online. I then went down the gym and everyone was psyched up man. The energy in the room was just incredible. We had been fighting for it for such a long time it got to the point where I just never thought it would happen. For it to happen, it’s so cool, I know there is a ton of people working super hard to get on that that card but I’m going to do everything I can myself to get on that card.”

He added: “I’m going to train my ass off and try and get a fight in before then and then hopefully get a big fight on that card.

“I know my family and friends would love to hop on the train, drink a couple of beers, watch me fight and then go out in the city - what could be better than that?”

In doing that, Iaquinta firmly believes that he will situate himself in the UFC lightweight title mix and thinks that New York City would be the best place to get his shot at the title.

He said: “As I said before that fight I want to get one fight in and then a massive fight at Madison Square Garden.

“If that’s not the title shot then it should be the one that sets me up for it. This game is so crazy you got to be ready for anything and I think it’s a big possibility that by the end of the year I could be holding that belt.