'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#2. UFC welterweight division: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Michel Pereira
Unlike the main event, this fight promises to produce some serious fireworks. Sure, neither Santiago Ponzinibbio nor Michel Pereira is a contender for the UFC welterweight title right now, but that doesn’t matter. They’re likely to exchange bombs until one man goes down, and that should make it tremendous to watch.
Of the two, Ponzinibbio is definitely the more proven. ‘Gente Boa’ shot up the rankings from his octagon debut in 2013 through to his win over Neil Magny in 2018. That win, along with his victories over Gunnar Nelson and Mike Perry, put him firmly in the top 10 at 170 pounds.
However, the Argentine was then sidelined with injuries. When he returned three years later, he suffered a KO at the hands of Li Jingliang and most recently was outpointed by Geoff Neal.
At his best, Ponzinibbio is an excellent striker with heavy hands, nasty leg kicks and a strong chin. However, his willingness to brawl is always a bit of an issue for him, as it tends to mean he risks more than he honestly needs to.
Against Pereira, though, he might be inclined to do just that – wade in with punches and not give his Brazilian opponent a chance to settle and throw something big.
‘Demolidor’ is a highly-dangerous fighter on his feet, but the idea that he’s more flash than substance still remains, even if he looked much improved in his more recent wins over Niko Price and Andre Fialho.
However, he was also outpointed by the completely unheralded Tristan Connelly in 2019, largely because Connelly kept getting in his face, took his shots without flinching, and refused to back down.
Can Ponzinibbio do that? It’s possible, although it’s fair to say that he isn’t likely to attempt to clinch and take Pereira down. Instead, he’s probably going to look to box with him and draw him into an exchange where he can land something big.
Overall, this is a tough fight to pick, but Pereira does seem to have calmed his wildman act a little. If he can remain calm under fire, then there’s definitely the chance he capitalises on Ponzinibbio’s seemingly waning durability.
The Pick: Pereira via second-round TKO
