Santiago Ponzinibbio: The Forgotten Hero of the UFC welterweight division

Santiago Ponzinibbio could have been a household name by now, had he not gone through a serious staph infection that completely halted his Championship level MMA career. However, he recently announced that he would his make his comeback to the UFC after a 20 month hiatus.

Santiago Ponzinibbio held an impressive resume during his time with the UFC. With 27 wins in 30 MMA fights, Ponzinibbio was bound for the Welterweight gold. At one point, he was ranked as the #7 Welterweight contender in the world. During UFC 241, when Nate Diaz made his hugely anticipated return to the octagon, Ponzinibbio was ranked above Diaz in the Welterweight rankings.

However, after being inactive for over two years now, UFC has removed him from the official rankings. Ponzinibbio holds notable victories against Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson, Mike Perry, and Zak Cummings. He also holds an impressive seven fights win-streak in one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC.

Santiago Ponzinibbio expected to return to the UFC

Santiago Ponzinibbio

Santiago Ponzinibbio is expected to return either by the end of the Summer, or beginning of the Fall. There are many likely option for Ponzinibbio for his career forward in the Welterweight division. He was expected to face Kamaru Usman at one point, and while that's still a couple wins away, Ponzinibbio could be looking at challenging someone like Tyron Woodley. or Robbie Lawler to further cement his position in the division.

Robbie Lawler has lost four of his last five fights, with three consecutive losses to his name. However, he still serves as a worthy contender and will be a tough opponent for Santiago Ponzinibbio if he takes the fight. Lawler is equally in need of a win after back to back losses. It does look like Ponzinibbio is eyeing Tyron Woodley for his comeback fight. Woodley has lost both his last fights, and is currently ranked #5 in the UFC Welterweight rankings. In a recent media interaction, Santiago Ponzinibbio stated,

“I’ll still beat the sh*t out of him and knock him out in the first round.”

Ponzinibbio is the only fighter to knock out Gunnar Nelson, who has fought the likes of Damien Maia, Gilbert Burns, and Leon Edwards. He is quick on his feet, and has the ability to finish the fight. Santiago Ponzinibbio is equally brilliant on the ground, but likes to sleep his opponents via punches. He has picked KO wins over two of his last three opponents, and is a tough competition for any fighter in the top 10 of the Welterweight division. However, it will be interesting to see how much the 20 month break will impact his performance in the fight. The Welterweight division is moved leaps and bound in the last 20 months, and Kamaru Usman reigns supreme as the current UFC Welterweight Champion.

Exchanged a few text messages with UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio (@SPonzinibbioMMA) tonight. He said he has signed new management, Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00), and he's asking for a fight in Aug/Sept. Hasn't fought since Nov. 2018 due to a bad staph infection.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 30, 2020

There are multiple worthy contenders for the belt, and numerous up and rising contenders. It will be crucial for Santiago Ponzinibbio to choose his next few fights wisely, and use his seven fight win-streak to move up the ladder. Rightfully so, a win over former Champion Tyron Woodley can help him get closer to the title picture.

He is a solid contender at the 170 division, and can prove to be dangerous for a lot of ranked opponents. It will be interesting to see where he will fit in the current rankings, and his career going forward.