Kevin Lee: It's My Duty To Beat Iaquinta And Put Him Back On The Prelims

This Saturday’s rematch between Kevin Lee and Al Iaquinta in Milwaukee is an intriguing clash of top-10 lightweights, and to hear Lee tell it, there's more at stake than just divisional standing -- he simply doesn't like the guy.

Lee and Iaquinta first met back in February 2014 at UFC 169 where “Ragin’ Al” got the better of “The Motown Phenom,” winning by unanimous decision. Both fighters have improved exponentially since that fight, and this weekend’s match up will be a good gauge on just how far both men have evolved since their first encounter. The lead-up to the fight has also featured some back-and-forth sniping that seems just a bit more venomous than the average pre-fight chatter.

Lee was a recent guest on “The MMA Hour” and explained to host Luke Thomas why he has a frosty relationship with Iaquinta.

“I’ve had a couple of people say this to me already,” Lee said. “He’s got some good qualities probably, but we just are two different types of people. We’ve crossed [paths] a couple of times in these last years. He’s that Jersey boy that’s gonna get drunk and f*ck up a hotel room. His voice shouldn’t be no bigger than it already is. So I feel like it’s my personal duty to get him up out of there and put him back on the prelims.”

UFC on Fox 31 takes place Saturday, Dec. 15 at Fiserv Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is headlined by the Lee-Iaquinta rematch. It will mark the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s final event on Fox before embarking on its new broadcast deal with ESPN+.