Santiago Ponzinibbio is the toast of the 170-pound town, thanks to his dominant performance in the UFC Fight Night 140 main event last Sat. night (Nov. 17, 2018) inside Parque Roca Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
That’s where “Gente Boa” cemented his place as a legitimate welterweight title contender by smashing longtime veteran, Neil Magny, in the fourth round of their FOX Sports 1 headliner (watch the dramatic replay here).
But since reigning division champion, Tyron Woodley, is too busy playing keep away with top contender, Colby Covington, Ponzinibbio may have to look elsewhere. Just don’t expect him to call out former title hopeful, Darren Till.
“I don’t see him as a very professional athlete,” Ponzinibbio said at the post-fight press conference (watch it). “I think he missed weight a few times, so there are other fights that I’m more interested in than him. It would be a great fight to fight one of those victors, between the Dos Anjos-Usman fight.”
Former lightweight champion, Rafael dos Anjos, will be testing his takedown defense against streaking welterweight bruiser, Kamaru Usman, in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 28 Finale later this month in Las Vegas, Nevada (details).
If Ponzinibbio can fight — and beat — Usman whoever prevails from that pending showdown, then it would be hard to pass him over for a welterweight title shot. Unless this UFC newcomer does something spectacular in his Octagon debut.
Time will tell.