Daniel Rodriguez vs Santiago Ponzinibbio signed for UFC Fight Night 225
It appears UFC welterweight talents Daniel Rodriguez (17-4) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-7) have their next bouts lined up, as they’re slated to face one another at UFC Fight Night 225.
UFC Fight Night 225 is to go down live from the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada on September 16, 2023, and is to be headlined by a UFC flyweight championship rematch between current champion Alexa Grasso (16-3) and former champion Valentina Shevchenko (23-4).
Daniel Rodriguez comes into this fight off the first losing streak of his career. He had quite the successful run initially, debuting with a record of 10-1 back in February of 2020.
Rodriguez climb to 17-2 as a professional by late 2022, having defeated the likes of Tim Means (guillotine choke) in his octagon debut, Gabriel Green (UD), Dwight Grant (KO), Mike Perry (UD), Preston Parsons (TKO), Kevin Lee (UD), and Li Jingliang (SD), only losing a controversial decision to Nicolas Dalby (UD) in his fourth promotional appearance.
At that point Rodriguez could’ve arguably been unbeaten through 19 fights, as the first defeat of his career also came via split decision; he lost that fight to a 10-3 talent when he was just 4-0 himself.
Nonetheless, he did suffer two real defeats in his latest outings, having been finished by both Neil Magny (D’Arce choke) and Ian Garry (TKO), marking the first time he’d ever been submitted, and also the first time he’d ever been knocked out.
Now he comes into this fight looking to right those wrongs and get back on the winning track.
Santiago Ponzinibbio went 4-0 on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil II, though he was unable to compete for the trophy due to an injury suffered on the show. Debuting for the UFC in November of 2013 with a record of 18-1, Ponzinibbio would go 2-2 through his first four bouts with the promotion.
The two victories came over Wendell Oliviera (KO) and Sean Strickland (UD), with the defeats coming to Ryan LaFlare (UD) and Lorenz Larkin (TKO).
Ponzinibbio would go on a serious win streak following the second hiccup, winning his next seven-straight over the likes of Andreas Stahl (TKO), Court McGee (TKO), Zak Cummings (UD), Nordine Taleb (UD), Gunnar Nelson (KO), Mike Perry (UD), and Neil Magny (KO).
Following victory over Magny the Brazilian contender was in a great spot but was forced to sit out for over two years from November of 2018 to January of 2021 due to a multitude of injuries and fight cancellations.
Since returning Ponzinibbio has gone 2-4, losing to the likes of Li Jingliang (KO) in his return fight, Geoff Neal (SD), Michel Pereira (SD), and Kevin Holland (KO), with the two victories coming over Miguel Baeza (UD) and Alex Morono (KO).
Who comes out on top in this epic welterweight showcase going down at UFC Fight Night 225?
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