UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio will aim to finish back-to-back opponents when he meets Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Iowa in May.
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – UFC welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio isn’t sure what to expect when he travels to Des Moines, Iowa for the first time, but he knows he’ll be ready for a knock-down, drag-out type of fight if necessary.
In what will be his second fight of the year, Ponzinibbio (30-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) faces Daniel Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 67 on May 3. The event takes place at Wells Fargo Arena, which according to the information he’s received, might be one of the few points of interest in the city.
“I’ve never been to this place,” Ponzinibbio told MMA Junkie. “I was asking the people what is there, and they say there’s not too much to do, but I’m gonna fight.”
The “Argentine Dagger” faces fellow 38-year-old Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in what many expect to be a thrilling affair on the feet. Ponzinibbio owns three Performance of the Night-winning finishes in his UFC tenure, and comes into this fight on the heels of a fantastic third-round finish of Carlston Harris.
“It’s going to be a pretty fun fight,” Ponzinibbio told. “He’s a striker like me. … It’s going to be a fun fight for the fans for sure.”
Ponzinibbio knows Rodriguez is a tough out, which could make for a hard-fought fight that reaches the judges scorecards. The Argentine is no stranger to earning bonuses in bouts that go the distance as he’s racked up three Fight of the Night awards as well. He knows it’s a possibility that Rodriguez sees the final horn, but remains confident the fight won’t go the distance.
“Always ready for three rounds of war,” Ponzinibbio said. “If a knockout comes early, that’s good. I’m ready. I feel ready to finish this guy, you know? I feel I can finish this guy. I’m probably going to finish, but if it’s necessary I need to fight 15 minutes in a war, I’m going to be ready – but I believe that I’m going to finish before that.”
Rodriguez bounced back from a three-fight skid in his last appearance by winning a split decision over Alex Morono. Ponzinibbio also returned to the win column in his last outing, but the finish of Harris was definitive, notching the seventh finish of his UFC career.
