Santiago Ponzinibbio is on the verge of hitting a big milestone in his fighting career. Saturday, the Argentinian will compete in his 40th professional MMA fight – a number few reach in their careers.
"Yeah, I did know that, and that's without counting the fights from 'TUF,' which were four," Ponzinibbio told Hablemos MMA in Spanish.
Ponzinibbio (30-9 MMA, 12-8 UFC), a longtime welterweight, returns against Sam Patterson (14-3-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 282 (Paramount+) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ponzinibbio revealed this wasn't the original matchup, but in a way, he's glad he drew a younger opponent, as he gets an opportunity to show he can hang with newer talent.
"I was supposed to fight Jack Hermansson, but he ended up getting injured, and I was offered Patterson," Ponzinibbio said. "It's a much different challenge, but it is still a challenge. It's one of those clashes of generations that the company likes to make, and it's a great opportunity to show that I'm still good and relevant and that I can hang with the new generation. I'm not focused on him. I'm focused on me."
Apart from competing in his 40th fight Saturday, Ponzinibbio is also just weeks away from his 40th birthday. He knows he's reaching the end of his fighting days, but retirement is not something he thinks about much.
#fight #saturday #Opportunity #hang
"Yeah, I did know that, and that's without counting the fights from 'TUF,' which were four," Ponzinibbio told Hablemos MMA in Spanish.
Ponzinibbio (30-9 MMA, 12-8 UFC), a longtime welterweight, returns against Sam Patterson (14-3-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 282 (Paramount+) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ponzinibbio revealed this wasn't the original matchup, but in a way, he's glad he drew a younger opponent, as he gets an opportunity to show he can hang with newer talent.
"I was supposed to fight Jack Hermansson, but he ended up getting injured, and I was offered Patterson," Ponzinibbio said. "It's a much different challenge, but it is still a challenge. It's one of those clashes of generations that the company likes to make, and it's a great opportunity to show that I'm still good and relevant and that I can hang with the new generation. I'm not focused on him. I'm focused on me."
Apart from competing in his 40th fight Saturday, Ponzinibbio is also just weeks away from his 40th birthday. He knows he's reaching the end of his fighting days, but retirement is not something he thinks about much.
#fight #saturday #Opportunity #hang
6 days ago
