UFC 223: Wantagh’s Al Iaquinta keeping things light before fight night

The hometown kid had to make do. So he did.

Due to a printing error, Wantagh’s Al Iaquinta was the only fighter at UFC 223 media day Thursday without a sign indicating his name and Twitter handle next to his seat.

Iaquinta has been outspoken about UFC contracts and fighter pay in the past, but he took the printing error in stride and had some fun with it at Barclays Center. The only rage from “Raging Al” was on the white piece of paper he brought with him to media day. Iaquinta scribbled “RAGING AL” in pen on the paper and taped it to the backdrop.

“I didn’t get a sign, so I made my own,” the lightweight fighter said ahead of Saturday’s bout against Paul Felder.

If that’s the worst of the week for Iaquinta, he’ll do just fine.

Iaquinta is the only area fighter on the card for UFC 223. In previous fights in the New York City and Long Island areas, some fighters chose to sleep and train at home for as long as possible. Iaquinta checked into the fighter hotel on Wednesday and said he plans to be there the whole week.

“It’s like any other fight week,” Iaquinta said. “I just come, stay, hang out, leave everything back home. I like sleeping in hotel beds in fight week. It feels like fight week.”

That hometown feel likely will return Saturday night when he makes that walk to the octagon to face Felder. Iaquinta (13-3-1) expects to see and hear plenty of friends and family in the crowd on fight night.

Felder (15-3) is on a three-fight win streak, all by knockout. Iaquinta has won five in a row, four by knockout.

“The best guys that he’s faced he’s hung in there with,” Iaquinta said of Felder. “Guys that are ranked, he hangs in there with. Guys that I beat, he hangs in there with. He’s not hanging in there with me. I’m going to be the guy that he can’t hang in there with.”

By Mark La Monica

mark.lamonica@newsday.comLaMonicaMark

Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.