Tomorrow night in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 55, we are going to see an absolute banger in the welterweight division. Two of the more exciting fighters in the division will battle it out as Argentina’s Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-5) takes on Brazil’s Michel Pereira (27-11).
Ponzinibbio enters the cage ranked fourteenth and that ranking is something that Pereira desperately wants. Pereira will enter UFC Vegas 55 riding a four-fight winning streak. The last time we saw him was at UFC 270 when he got a decision win over Andre Fialho.
Since making his debut back in 2019, he’s gone 5-2 in seven fights. Granted one of those losses was to Diego Sanchez in a fight he dominated but lost by DQ after he landed an illegal knee in the final round. Pereira is poised to give Ponzinibbio a tough fight tomorrow night.
Santiago Ponzinibbio at one point looked like he was going to be a future UFC champion. Back in 2018, he knocked out Neil Magny and was sitting at 27-3 in his career. However, injuries sidelined him for a couple of years and that through everything off.
He was knocked out by Li Jingliang upon his return and then he’s split his last two fights. Granted, many believe he won his last fight against Geoff Neal. While he’s looked solid, he hasn’t looked quite like the guy who many pegged to be a future champion.
UFC Vegas 55 Prediction
In this fight I’m seeing a wild man taking on someone who is aggressive but a bit more calculated. Pereira is a straight up wild man and we’ve seen that during his UFC fights. He will throw massive shots with a ton of power, but he’s not the most accurate striker.
He’s also not the most sound defensively. With the loud movements and ineffective defense, we’ve seen his cardio look suspect in some of his UFC bouts. That could come into play tomorrow night considering the style of Ponzinibbio.
I’m expecting Ponzinibbio to pressure Pereira but keep himself out of a fire fight. Pereira is the most dangerous when things are chaotic. If Ponzinibbio remains composed and attacks with accuracy, I think this is a really good fight for him.
While it’s always hard to pick against someone on a four-fight winning streak, I have to do it here. I just think Ponzinibbio is going to be too sharp and that will ultimately win a close but entertaining decision.
Prediction: Santiago Ponzinibbio by Decision