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“I’d be happy to do this main event and knock him out in the first round. This is my fight. In two weeks, I’m in.”
With UFC president Dana White desperately scrambling to find a new main event for UFC 249, streaking welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio has offered to step in and fight Tyron Woodley on short notice, per a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz.
Ponzinibbio hasn’t fought since his stunning fourth-round knockout of Neil Magny back in 2018 but the Argentinian-born fighter is ready to return to the Octagon and put on a show against Woodley, promising a first-round KO victory over the former UFC welterweight champion.
“Just saw on the media that Tyron Woodley is saying he’s ready to fight at UFC 249, that he’s training and ready to do the main event, so I’m here,” Ponzinibbio said. “I’m ready to take this fight. I’d be happy to do this main event and knock him out in the first round. This is my fight. In two weeks, I’m in.”
“He’s asking for Colby Covington but he’s not ready, he fractured his jaw. I’m ready, brother. I’m ready to beat him up.”
Ponzinibbio has been out of action for the last year due to injury but the 33-year-old still believes he would have no problem disposing of Woodley at UFC 249, joking that he could beat ‘The Chosen One’ with one arm tied behind his back.
“I’ve been away for a while with an injury and I haven’t trained for a while. What more does he want?” Ponzinibbio said. “He only takes easy fights so I’m coming off an injury, which is great for him, but I’ll still beat the sh*t out of him and knock him out in the first round.”
“I’m not training, I’m away for a year and a half, there are no other advantages I can give him,” he continued. “I’ll fight with one arm tied behind my back if he wants, and I’ll still beat the sh*t out of this guy and knock him out in the first round. Let’s see if he’s man enough to take this fight.”
UFC 249 was originally supposed to feature a headlining lightweight bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson but Nurmagomedov is stuck in Russia due to the coronavirus pandemic. The highly anticipated PPV is still expected to take place on April 18, although no venue has been announced.