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Santiago Ponzinibbio will be making his octagon return at UFC Iowa on May 3, taking on ultra-tough welterweight Daniel Rodriguez. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, the Argentine striker shared his thoughts on his matchup with Rodriguez and how he expects it to transpire.
When asked about the entertainment value of his upcoming fight, Ponzinibbio believed that since Rodriguez is a striker like him, it's a recipe for action that the fans will appreciate.
"Yeah, of course. That's going to be a pretty fun fight, you know? He's like a striker like me. He likes to strike and it's going to be a fun fight for the fans, for sure."
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In terms of the fight's outcome, the Argentina power-puncher believes that he will finish Rodriguez, but is well-prepared for a three-round affair if his foe manages to withstand his shots.
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"Man, I'm always ready for three rounds of war, man. If a knockout comes early, that's good, man. I'm ready, I feel ready to finish this guy, you know? I feel I can finish this guy, I'm probably gonna finish him, but if necessary I need to fight 15 minutes in a war, I'm gonna be ready. But believe that I'm gonna finish him before that."
Check out Santiago Ponzinibbio's thoughts on his upcoming fight (0:10 and 5:09):
Ponzinibbio is coming off a third-round TKO win at Fight Night 249, where he faced Carlston Harris. It was a strong performance from the Argentine, who at 38 years old, is now in the twilight of his career.
Santiago Ponzinibbio never quite met the expectations initially had of him
Santiago Ponzinibbio is part of the crop of welterweights, much like Darren Till, who were expected to become staples at the top of the division. He was a powerful striker with an impressive record, but his career was derailed by injuries and illness, which caused him to withdraw from several fights.
Moreover, he has been relatively inactive. Eventually, he began suffering losses to opponents who were well below championship caliber fighters, and is currently 2-4 in his last six fights.
