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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight power puncher, Santiago Ponzinibbio, has won seven straight fights inside the Octagon, four of them by way of knockout. Not too shabby, but only good enough to land him at No. 9 in the official rankings.
No wonder he’s so “pissed off.”
While a 170-pound title shot is likely within reach should the Argentinian slugger notch one or two more high-profile wins, he’s also not opposed to dropping down in weight if it means an immediate crack at the division crown.
Currently held by lightweight deity Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“Khabib, he’s 27-0, I can finish this guy, I know,” Ponzinibbio recently told MMA Fighting. “The first guy to beat this guy, is an exciting opportunity too. For good opportunity, of course, I do 155.”
Dustin Poirier might have something to say about that.
Ponzinibbio (27-3) has not competed since toe-tagging Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night 140 last November, thanks to a variety of health issues that required separate trips to the hospital. That said, “Gente Boa” expects to return later this year.
As for Nurmagomedov, he’s likely to face Tony Ferguson at some point in the next few months, assuming he can stop “The Diamond” from shining in the UFC 242 pay-per-view (PPV) main event next month in Abu Dhabi.