This past Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 101, we saw a fun welterweight showdown. Former top contender Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-8) was looking to get back on track as he took on Carlston Harris (19-6).
There was a time where Ponzinibbio looked like a guy who was going to become the first Argentinian champion for the UFC. However, after injuries derailed his career, he’s never regained the hype he once had years ago. At 38-years-old and having lost back-to-back fights, Ponzinibbio needed a win badly.
However, the fight on Saturday wasn’t going well for him through the first two rounds. In the first round, he was dropped a couple of times and hurt by Harris. The second round saw a ton of back-and-forth action which could’ve let to the fight being scored for either fighter. Two judges had it even after two while one judge had it 20-18 for Harris.
Ponzinibbio knew he had to empty the tank in the final round. He was able to hurt Harris badly and went all out for the finish. Harris was on wobbly legs but he did try fighting back against the fence. The referee decided he had taken enough damage though and stopped it giving Ponzinibbio the huge TKO win at UFC Vegas 101.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 101?
Let’s be honest, this was a must-win for Ponzinibbio. At his age, he couldn’t afford a three-fight losing streak and now with this win, he can try to build up some momentum. I think the days of thinking of Ponzinibbio as a UFC title contender are long gone, but he can still have some fun fights inside the octagon until he walks away.
With that in mind, who should be next for him? I think the UFC would be wise to look at names like Neil Magny next for Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio and Magny fought years ago with Ponzinibbio getting the win. At this stage of their careers, it’s a fight that could make sense to run back. Daniel Rodriguez and Michael Chiesa would be names of guys coming off wins that would also make a lot of sense for Ponzinibbio.