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Santiago Ponzinibbio has often been on the cusp of becoming a star at 170-pounds in the UFC. His record is more than impressive, but a serious injury provided a setback at the worst possible time.
The Argentinian was riding high in the UFC after accumulating a seven-fight winning streak that featured wins over Neil Magny, Mike Perry, Gunnar Nelson and Zak Cummings. After a staph infection stalled his rise, 'Gente Boa' looked set to pick up where he left off when he returned this year. A knockout loss to Li Jingliang in January made it clear a lot of work is needed if he is to reach the top of the division again.
Nevertheless, Ponzinibbio's 27-4 record is impressive and Miguel Baeza, who he's set to face this weekend, has made an unbeaten start to his career, making Ponzinibbio's next matchup an exciting prospect.
UFC Vegas 28: Ponzinibbio vs. Baeza
At UFC Vegas 28, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Miguel Baeza will go head-to-head. The clash will see two welterweights at fairly opposite ends of their careers fight to secure a number next to their name this summer.
For Baeza, this fight offers a golden opportunity to add a recognized UFC name to his record. At just 28-years-old, 'Caramel Thunder' has immense potential, and his UFC career so far has shown that. Since debuting for the promotion in 2019 as a 7-0 professional, wins over Hector Aldana and Takashi Sato, as well as a memorable knockout of Matt Brown, have ascended Baeza to a double-figure win tally.
Against the Argentinian, Baeza will look to increase his winning streak to 11 and establish his name as a real threat to the rest of the division. For Ponzinibbio, this matchup represents a chance to record his first victory in over two years.
Ahead of this weekend’s card, let’s refresh our memories of Santiago Ponzinibbio's skills inside the octagon. Here are his three most brutal finishes in the UFC.
#3 Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Andreas Stahl - UFC Fight Night 80
Santiago Ponzinibbio had a largely forgettable first two years in the UFC. After four fights in the promotion, he had a 2-2 record that included defeats to Lorenz Larkin and Ryan LaFlare. An impressive victory over Andreas Stahl was a turning point for the 34-year-old's career.
With less than a minute remaining of the opening round, Ponzinibbio secured a brutal finish. After forcing 'Real Steel' to cover up with a powerful combination, 'Gente Boa' repeated it with devastating effect. After a left faint forced his Swedish opponent to react, Ponzinibbio threw a vicious right hand that collapsed Stahl against the cage.
After a couple of loaded shots to a downed Stahl, Herb Dean had seen enough. The win moved Ponzinibbio to a positive UFC record and began what would become a seven-fight winning streak.
#2 Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Gunnar Nelson - UFC Fight Night 113
Sometimes the images don't do justice to how brutal a knockout is. That's not the case for Santiago Ponzinibbio's victory over Gunnar Nelson at UFC Fight Night 117. The images of a dazed Nelson before and after the referee stepped in tell the story.
After highlight finishes over Andreas Stahl and Court McGee, and decision wins over Zak Cummings Nordine Taleb, Ponzinibbio was riding a four-fight winning streak heading into his fight with Nelson. It was the biggest fight of his UFC career up to that point. The pressure certainly didn't affect the Argentinian.
In the main event of the card, which was held in Scotland, Ponzinibbio knocked Nelson out in brutal fashion. The Icelandic welterweight boasted an impressive 16-2-1 record at the time and was coming off wins over Albert Tumenov and Alan Jouban. His hot form came to a crashing halt at the hands of 'Gente Boa'.
After the two dipped in-and-out of range tentatively for the opening minute of the fight, Santiago Ponzinibbio landed that right bomb we all know he possesses. The strike went across Nelson and sent him toppling away towards the cage. Nelson decided attack was the best form of defense and attempted to throw back. In a flurry of punches, a stiff left jab sent Nelson's unconscious body falling to the canvas.
A couple of hard follow-up shots made the KO just that bit extra brutal...
#1 Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Neil Magny - UFC Fight Night 140
Santiago Ponzinibbio's last win before being sidelined was impressive. Against the toughest opponent and biggest name he'd faced in the UFC, the Argentinian made a statement. It stands to reason big things would have come next for 'Gente Boa' in 2019 had he been able to compete.
In what was his second UFC main event, Ponzinibbio faced Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night 140 in November 2018. Magny's only defeat in the two years leading up to the fight was against former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos. 'The Haitian Sensation' had only been finished with strikes once in his career and had never been flatlined in the cage. Santiago Ponzinibbio changed that.
In the fourth round of their headlining matchup, Ponzinibbio slept an effectively one-legged Magny with his classic cross-right bomb.The power of the punch was clear to see. Magny fell face first into the canvas, which left for an even more brutal scene in the aftermath of the KO.
