What’s Next For Santiago Ponzinibbio?
If Ponzinibbio wants his crack at the title in 2019, here are the three best matchups for him to take next.
Youtube screen grab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o72bCkjDNhESantiago Ponzinibbio (27-3) officially made his presence felt in the Welterweight division last night with a knockout victory over the always-dangerous Neil Magny (21-7).
Arguably his best performance to date, the KO punctuated a seven-fight win streak for Ponzinibbio. During his post-fight interview, he wasted no time calling out reigning champion Tyson Woodley during
While a stoppage over a fighter like Magny is impressive, by no means does it lead directly to a title shot—not in a division as loaded as the 170-pound ranks.
If Ponzinibbio wants his crack at the title in 2019, the Argentinian banger will have to continue to take on stiffer competition.
No need to call out anybody else, UFC matchmakers can just read this list.
Here are the three best matchups for Ponzinibbio to take next.
Kamaru Usman-Rafael Dos Anjos Winner
If Ponzinibbio is looking for a fight then let’s see him jump into the cage with the winner of Kamaru Usman (13-1) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (28-10), going down on November 30th. So the recovery time will be just about the same.
As far as stylistic matchups go, it could lead to a good fight no matter who Ponzinibbio is pitted against. Taking on and defeating a former world champion like Dos Anjos would be the best win in his career. While a possible victory over Usman, who has not lost since 2013, would vault Ponzinibbio up the rankings.
Stephen Thompson
Stephen Thompson (14-3-1) is on somewhat of a rough stretch. After back-to-back fights with champion Tyron Woodley—that saw the first end in a draw and the second end in a majority-decision loss—Thompson needed to reset. The kickboxer managed to pickup a good win against the exhilarating Jorge Masvidal.
Unfortunately for Thompson, he took another step backwards when he lost a close decision to Darren Till in May 2018.
Thompson remains one of the top Welterweights in the UFC and he must be itching to grab a win against a credible opponent. Ponzinibbio is the perfect fit.
They are both primarily strikers which could lead to an aesthetically-pleasing matchup. Most importantly, they both want to jump into title contention. A win for either man would do just that.
Ben Askren-Robbie Lawler Winner
Robbie Lawler (28-12) is as tough as they come—the guy has no quit in him. It’ll be interesting to see how his fight against the highly-touted UFC newcomer Ben Askren plays out.
Ponzinibbio should really be keeping an eye on this matchup as he could very well take on the winner. A bout with Lawler would be bombs away! And if Askren comes out victorious then that poses so many intriguingg questions for the Argentinian striker.
Would Ponzinibbio be able to deal with the wrestling abilities of Askren? Or will he just wilt underneath that type of pressure?
In any case, both fights would be great for Ponzinibbio and the fight fans. And both put him next in line for Woodley.
