Santiago Ponzinibbio

Geoff Neal edges Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269

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On the main card of UFC 269, we saw a showdown in the welterweight division. Two top contenders faced off as Argentina’s Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-4) took on Geoff Neal (13-4).

Both of these men find themselves in a similar spot at UFC 269. At one point, both looked like they were on the path to becoming UFC champion. However, they’ve both been derailed.

Ponzinibbio has been hindered by injuries and a knockout loss to Li Jingliang. However, he did bounce back earlier this year with a win over Miguel Baeza.

Geoff Neal on the other hand has lost his last two UFC fights. Prior to those two losses, he had won five straight which included wins over Belal Muhammad and Niko Price.

Both men were looking to make a statement and show why they are still top contenders.

UFC 269 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 269 welterweight contest kicked off with a touch of the gloves. Ponzinibbio immediately takes the center and he’s looking to pressure Neal. Neal circles on the outside as he tries to gauge the range.

Neal comes forward with double jab but both fall short. Two powerful leg kicks land for Neal. Neal looks for a head kick that just misses. Nice 1-2 down the middle from Ponzinibbio. Left straight lands for Neal.

Nice low kick lands for Ponzinibbio and Neal counters with a high kick. Lots of pressure here from Neal and he lands a combination. Nice jab lands from Ponzinibbio. Two shots land from Ponzinibbio but Neal counters with his own combination.

Two good lead right hooks for Neal and Ponzinibbio is cut. Lots of pressure for Neal and he lands another good combination. Ponzinibbio tries to fire back but Neal is not there to be found. More pressure from Ponzinibbio and he’s trying to make this a brawl.

However, Neal circles on the outside. Lots of forward pressure from Ponzinibbio and he lands a couple of solid kicks. The round comes to a close and it was a close one but I lean Neal at UFC 269.

Round 2

Ponzinibbio was really finding his rhythm at the end of the first at UFC 269 so it’ll be interesting to watch him here in the second. Ponzinibbio immediately goes back to the pressure to start the second. Nice lead left hook lands for Ponzinibbio.

Low kick from Ponzinibbio. Neal tries to slip and counter but just misses. Both men step in and trade big shots. Ponzinibbio throws a big leg kick but Neal checks it perfectly and that might’ve hurt Ponzinibbio. However, Ponzinibbio resets and he looks okay.

Nice lead left for Neal. Body kick lands for Geoff Neal and he throws a left behind it. Out of no where, Ponzinibbio tries for a takedown. However, Neal defends well and keeps the fight standing. Neal starting to move forward a little ore.

Straight left from Neal and Ponzinibbio lands one of his own. Nice combination from Ponzinibbio backs Neal up against the fence. Neal circles out and he lands a nice right straight. Both men step forward and land good shots.

Back to back 1-2’s for Ponzinibbio. Neal lands a nice shot and Ponzinibbio complains of an eye poke. However, the ref says it’s clean. The round comes to a close and Ponzinibbio looked better in the second. Might be 1-1 after two at UFC 269.

Round 3

Entering the final round at UFC 269 and whoever wins this round will likely win the fight. Ponzinibbio takes the center to start the final round. Neal continues to circle on the outside. Nice shot from Ponzinibbio and Neal lands a counter left.

Check right hook from Neal and Ponzinibbio goes down briefly. Neal rushes and lands another good shot. However, Ponzinibbio recovers well and he circles out. Low kick lands for Ponzinibbio. Double jabs from Ponzinibbio who is starting to collect points here.

Good combination from Ponzinibbio who has now retaken momentum. However, Neal starts moving forward. Another good check right hook from Neal. Ponzinibbio lands a stiff shot right down the middle.

Both men are looking tired here in the final frame. Pressure from Ponzinibbio and he lands a stiff right hand. Neal counters but Ponzinibbio then lands a good combination. Another combination from Ponzinibbio.

Solid left from Neal but he eats a big kick from Ponzinibbio for his troubles. Ponzinibbio pulling away here in the final round. Big shots from Ponzinibbio. However, Neal takes momentum back a little with a few big shots of his own.

Huge combination from Neal lands and Ponzinibbio looks a little wobbled. Another big combination from Neal. Neal has Ponzinibbio hurt here in the final frame. Ponzinibbio still throwing but Neal lands. Close final round and honestly either could win at UFC 269.

Geoff Neal def. Santiago Ponzinibbio by Split Decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)

UFC booking Geoff Neal – Santiago Ponzinibbio

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The UFC has added another banger for the December PPV. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report last night that the promotion had finalized a matchup between top 12 welterweights as Geoff Neal (13-4) takes on Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-4).

The matchup will take place at UFC 269 which is shaping up to be one of the most stacked cards of the year. This matchup is likely going to be featured on the prelims which is remarkable when you think about it.

Ponzinibbio is going to be looking to pickup his second consecutive win which could get him back in the top ten. A few years ago, Ponzinibbio was looked at as a future UFC champion after the way he started with the promotion.

Before a series of injuries delayed his progression, Ponzinibbio went on a seven-fight win streak in the UFC. During that stretch he had wins over Gunnar Nelson and Mike Perry. The highlight win was a knockout over the tough Neil Magny.

However, injuries kept him out for over two years after that Magny win. He returned in January where he was knocked out by Jingliang Li. After that, he did bounce back with a sensational win over Miguel Baeza where he handed the UFC top prospect his first career loss.

UFC bounce back for Handz of Steel?

Geoff Neal was on a very similar path as Ponzinibbio inside the octagon. After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Neal went on a tear in the UFC. He started out a perfect 5-0.

During that start he had wins over guys like Belal Muhammad, Niko Price, and Mike Perry. However, he then had a year layoff after some health concerns. Upon his return, he fought Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in a main event last December.

Neal was outclassed and suffered his first UFC loss. Then, he was defeated by Neil Magny back in May to suffer his second straight loss. Now, he has the tough task of taking on Ponzinibbio in December.

Both of these men need this win. For Ponzinibbio, he needs to show that he can beat top UFC welterweights again. For Neal, he needs to show the same thing and get back on track. This should be an incredible matchup once it rolls around in December.

What’s next for Li Jingliang after his big knockout at UFC Fight Island 7?

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This past weekend at UFC Fight Island 7, the MMA world was excited for the return of Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-4). Ponzinibbio was one of the top welterweight prospects in the promotion when the calendar closed in 2018.

However, injuries have kept Ponzinibbio out of the UFC since then. The promotion put him on this card and gave him Li Jingliang (18-6) in his return. The last we saw of Ponzinibbio, he was incredibly sharp and did well with counterstriking.

Li is the type of opponent who is going to be in your face from the moment the fight starts. With the styles of the two, I figured it was a great matchup for Ponzinibbio to return to and I expected him to pickup the win.

However, I was dead wrong. From the opening bell, Ponzinibbio was incredibly tentative. Li on the other hand was fighting as he normally does. Aggressively moving forward and looking for hooks to start his combinations or counter Ponzinibbio.

During one of the exchanges, Ponzinibbio overextended and Li put his lights out with a flush left hook. The UFC crowd was stunned and Li pulled off a massive win for him. Tough night for the returning Ponzinibbio but a sensational night for The Leech.

What’s next after UFC Fight Island 7?

Normally after a UFC event, you look at the winners and there are a number of options for their next fight. However, this is not the case with Li. To me, there is one clear option that I think the promotion should go with.

I think the next fight for Li Jingliang should be a matchup with Geoff Neal (13-3). Neal just suffered his first loss inside the octagon, but he’s still ranked inside the top 15 at welterweight. He’s currently ranked 11th in the division.

The new UFC rankings just came out and Li is currently ranked 12th. Given their styles and their positions within the division, it makes all the sense in the world to book these guys against each other. Not too mention it would be an insanely fun matchup for the fans.

After a disappointing return at UFC Fight Island 7, what’s next for Santiago Ponzinibbio?

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One of the fighters that I was the most excited about seeing at UFC Fight Island 7 was Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-4). Ponzinibbio had been out since November of 2018 with injuries, but he looked like a destroyer before those injuries.

He had won seven straight fights inside the octagon and looked like a guy who could become UFC welterweight champion. The promotion decided to give him Li Jingliang (18-6) in his return fight.

There are some fighters who can come back from long layoffs and not skip a beat. Then there are fighters who return to the UFC with serious ring rust. I was very curious to see where Ponzinibbio would fall on that scale.

One thing I knew is that he was facing an opponent who wasn’t going to let him get comfortable. Li is constantly throwing and constantly pushing forward which would throw Ponzinibbio right back into the fire after a couple of years off.

I figured Ponzinibbio would be able to land a big counter and win by knockout. Well, the exact opposite happened at UFC Fight Island 7. Ponzinibbio was extremely gun shy and he overextended on a right hand and got caught with a flush left hook that put him out.

What’s next after UFC Fight Island 7?

It is extremely clear that Ponzinibbio was just not comfortable in his UFC return. He didn’t look confident and he looked extremely hesitant. He looked like a fighter who had been off for a couple of years.

To beat a guy like Li, he needed to be on his game and sharp. He wasn’t and he was knocked out as a result. So what does the UFC do with Ponzinibbio after this loss? Well, in reality they need to get him back in there as soon as possible.

Normally fighters want to take some time off after a knockout loss, but Ponzinibbio has been off enough. The best thing for him is to try and get right back in there so he can get going again. The guy has so much ability and talent to just waste on the sidelines.

The UFC could go a couple of different ways with Ponzinibbio. On one hand, they could give him someone like Robbie Lawler (28-15, 1 NC). Sure, Lawler isn’t the same guy he used to be. However, he’s still got a big name with the fans.

If you want to reestablish Ponzinibbio, give him someone like Lawler who he can beat and restore his name. Or, they could give him someone like Alex Morono (18-7, 1 NC) who just lost to Anthony Pettis.

Sure, it’s not the sexiest fight in the world. However, it’s a fight that Ponzinibbio should be able to win. The UFC has options, but they need to give him a favorable matchup in his next fight.

Jingliang Li knocks out Ponzinibbio in the first at UFC Fight Island 7

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One of the more intriguing matchups at UFC Fight Island 7 was the welterweight contest between Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3) and Jingliang Li (17-6). For Ponzinibbio, this was his first fight back in the UFC in over two years.

A couple of years ago, Ponzinibbio looked like he was on his way to being a force in the division. To close out 2018, he starched Neil Magny and looked like he was going to become a title contender.

However, multiple injuries have kept Ponzinibbio on the shelf for the last couple of years. I was very intrigued to see how he would look in this matchup especially given the style of opponent that the UFC gave him.

Jingliang Li is not the type of opponent you get when you want to ease into your return. Li is a guy who loves to come forward non-stop and throw everything at you. Whether it’s hooks, kicks, or takedown attempts, Li will try it. This fight was promised to deliver on the action.

UFC Fight Island 7 Recap

Round 1

The UFC Fight Island 7 welterweight contest got underway with a touch of the gloves. Ponzinibbio opened up with a little pressure on Li looking for low kicks. Li was throwing a lot of feints trying to gauge Ponzinibbio.

The first clean shot lands a minute in and it was a left hook from Li. Ponzinibbio took it well, but he was looking slightly tentative. Li started to go to work with throwing hooks and mixing in some low kicks.

Ponzinibbio tried to work his way inside behind his jab, however, he wasn’t throwing much. Ponzinibbio’s UFC layoff looks like it was impacting him early. Two minutes left in the round and Li lands a solid straight right hand on Ponzinibbio.

Ponzinibbio kept with the pressure and was beginning to open up a little more with his leg kicks. However, Li was doing a good job of responding. Li was throwing and landing a lot more than Ponzinibbio in the first round. Out of no where, Li lands a massive left hook and puts Ponzinibbio to sleep! Wow!

Jingliang Li def. Santiago Ponzinibbio by KO – Round 1

UFC Fight Island 7 Preview: Santiago Ponzinibbio – Jingliang Li

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One of the storylines I’m most intrigued by tomorrow at UFC Fight Island 7 is the return of Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3). The top Argentinian welterweight will fight for the first time since 2018 when he takes on Jingliang Li (17-6) on the main card.

A couple of years ago, Ponzinibbio looked like he was on his way to being a force in the UFC‘s welterweight division. Ponzinibbio had won seven fights in a row including wins over Neil Magny, Mike Perry, and Gunner Nelson.

However, it was the manner in which Ponzinibbio won some of these matchups. He completely starched the durable Neil Magny when those two fought in 2018. Ponzinibbio looked like he could become the UFC‘s first champion from Argentina.

However, his career has been derailed by injuries over the past couple of years. That Magny knockout was the last time we’ve seen Ponzinibbio in action. His return has been anticipated by many and the UFC gave him a great opponent for his return.

Standing in the way of a successful Ponzinibbio return is Jingliang Li. Li was riding high entering 2020 after he had won three straight. He got a big opportunity against Neil Magny back in March. He lost that fight by unanimous decision.

Since then, we haven’t seen Li back in the UFC. However, he’s been working hard to improve and he looks to be a tough challenge for Ponzinibbio. Whoever wins this fight should be ranked in the top 15 when the rankings are updated next week.

UFC Fight Island 7 Prediction

The one thing I really like about this matchup is the pressure that Li is going to put on Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio is going to be fighting for the first time in over two years at UFC Fight Island 7.

Li is not going to let him get super comfortable in the cage. He’s going to come right out with pressure and force Ponzinibbio right into the fire. Li is the type of guy who’s not going to blow you away with anything he does, but he’s tough and he pushes the pace.

When it comes to predictions, it all comes down to which Ponzinibbio we see tomorrow. If he’s back into his normal form, I think he’s going to land a clean counter and get the finish. However, if he’s too timid, Li can win this fight on points with his activity alone.

At the end of the day, I believe that Ponzinibbio is one of the better welterweights in the UFC. I think he’s going to fight with something to prove and I think he will get the stoppage win tomorrow.

Prediction: Santiago Ponzinibbio by TKO – Round 2

UFC books return of Santiago Ponzinibbio against Li Jingliang

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The UFC is finalizing a big time matchup in their welterweight division. MMA Fighting was first to report that the promotion is finalizing a welterweight contest between Santiago Ponzinibbio (27-3) and Li Jingliang (17-6).

The fight is expected to take place on the first event of 2021 on Fight Island. That UFC card is being headlined by the featherweight showdown between Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar.

The welterweight contest will be the first UFC fight in over two years for Ponzinibbio. Starting in 2015, Ponzinibbio started a run where he looked like he was going to be a serious problem in the UFC‘s welterweight division.

Entering the fight on Fight Island, Ponzinibbio will be carrying in a seven-fight winning streak. In his last fight which took place in 2018, Ponzinibbio knocked out Neil Magny in an incredibly impressive performance.

Injuries and other health issues have kept the Argentinian outside of the octagon for the last couple of years. However, if Ponzinibbio shows that he’s back to his original form on January 16th, the welterweight division has another exciting contender.

UFC Welterweight Matchup

However, getting a victory in his UFC return will not be easy. Ponzinibbio will be taking on the Chinese contender, Li Jingliang. Jingliang fights out of China Top Team and he’s 7-2 in his last nine fights inside the octagon.

We last saw Jingliang back in March when he took on Neil Magny. Both of these welterweight contenders share a final opponent in Magny. However, Jingliang wasn’t nearly as successful as Ponzinibbio was against Magny.

Over the course of three rounds, Magny was able to get the unanimous decision win over Jingliang. This loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for Jingliang inside the UFC. The Leech is getting a good opportunity welcoming Ponzinibbio back into the UFC.

Whoever wins this matchup on January 16th should jump into the rankings in the welterweight division. I’m very excited and curious to see how Ponzinibbio looks after over two years off from competition.