The tides rise and fall in the life of a professional fighter and this is a reality Al Iaquinta has come to know well. Yet, rather than sit and wait for the next break to roll in, the New York native has decided to push ahead on his own terms.

The Ultimate Fighter alum turned top-15 lightweight made headlines late last year by taking a self-imposed exile from fighting based on unhappiness over his current contract. In turn Iaquinta took up a job as a real estate agent, and the start of that career did what it could to take his mind away from the MMA world.

Earning an honest living without taking the hard knock bumps and bruises of the fight game held plenty of appeal, and it's been a break enjoyed in full.

"I'm kind of playing it day by day," Iaquinta told FloCombat. "I'm enjoying doing the real estate thing and been doing it for six months and making almost as much money as I am fighting, which killed my body and I spent 10 years doing. I don't know to be honest. You have to weigh out what's worth it, you know?"

Yet in turn, Iaquinta is, has been, and will always be a fighter at his core, and a break in the tides of life brought him back to familiar ground. He'll face Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 108 in Nashville on April 22, but scrapping with "The Nightmare" isn't a full fledged dive back into the fold.

The fight is simply good enough for right now, and Iaquinta will base his future as it comes.

"I just feel like fighting right now," Iaquinta said. "That's really what it is. Back in November I was busy training for a fight, had bills to pay and needed to start making money. Things are a bit different now. I've found some success in the real estate world, and I'm pretty motivated doing that. I have a bit more space to get in there and do some training. I'm excited about that.

"I hate that I'm the co-main event and getting paid what I am, but I love fighting. I used to do it for next to nothing because I loved it. I'm going in there to have fun and see what happens."

While there is uncertainty aplenty in Iaquinta's long-term future in the fight game, there is absolutely zero question the caliber of fight he'll have on his hands in Tennessee.

For the past decade plus, Sanchez has been going to war with the best fighters the lightweight and welterweight divisions have to offer, and his tenacious aggression hasn't faltered in the slightest despite the battles waged.

Iaquinta appreciates and respects everything Sanchez brings to the table and is looking forward to scrapping it out with the UFC staple.

"I'm fighting an absolute lunatic," Iaquinta laughed. "I'm fully aware of that and that's cool with me. I dig it. He's f*cking nuts but he's won a lot of fights. I met the guy and I like him. We met one night in the city because we were both sponsored by Torque. We talked about his upcoming fight against Joe Lauzon at the time and I told him how to beat Joe since I'd just done it. Diego didn't listen, but what can you do?"

During a recent stop on the #FCRoadTrip tour, FloCombat sat down with Sanchez in his native Albuquerque. During the interview Sanchez showed ample respect for Iaquinta, especially the Serra-Longo product's no-nonsense approach to duking it out inside the Octagon. It's a point Iaquinta recognizes and embraces as he makes his return to the cage.

"No bullsh*t, just fighting," Iaquinta said. "That's it for me, and how nice would that be if it were how things were? Doesn't it suck things aren't as simple as they should be with this? I think so.

"I think if I fight my fight and work a similar game plan as I did against Joe [Lauzon] the win will come. Myles Jury also took him down a lot and I've been working hard on my wrestling. The only trouble I get into is when I get a little crazy on the ground, but I haven't shown anything yet compared to what I'm capable of doing in my ground game.

"I think Diego is definitely a guy I could do that against because after watching the Myles fight it's a big possibility," he continued. "It's going to be a fun fight and we'll see what happens after that."