UFC bogeyman controverisally knocked out Conor McGregor’s sparring partner during epic seven-fight run

Santiago Ponzinibbio looked like a future UFC champion during his three-year-old winning run.

The Argentinian welterweight became a title candidate with seven straight victories in the Octagon.

Big name opponents Neil Magny and Mike Perry were not a party for Santiago Ponzinibbio at their peak.

The most ruthless victory of his career came in July 2017 against the sparring partner of Conor McGregor.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

View Santiago Ponzinibbio Ko Gunnar Nelson

Santiago Ponzinibbio broke out brutal in 82 seconds at UFC Glasgow in 82 seconds.

However, their main event Matchup was not as easy as in the record books.

The Icelandic teammate of Conor McGregor enjoyed what early success before he took an eye cap.

Then Ponzinibbio hit and put him asleep with a vicious flurry of bumps.

Nelson after the fight, Nelson spoke with frustration about the error and his decision to fight through it.

“I kick myself in the head because I didn't stop the fight. I should have stopped the fight, restored and continue from there,” he told MMA Junkie at the time.

“I caught him, I thought I flee him and I could finish the fight. I think that was the biggest mistake in this fight.

“I am not saying that if I wasn't caught that I would have seen the shot coming. It is what it is. Even then I saw double and I could land a few more shots. But then he caught me with a nice right hand.”

What is the next step for Santiago Ponzinibbio?

Three fights later, Santiago Ponzinibbio was given a loss of upset by Li Jingliang.

Since then, the 38-year-old has never rediscovered the shape that made him a UFC-Boomeyman.

Ponzinibbio is 3-4 in its last seven fights on the way to a collision with Daniel Rodriguez this weekend.

Many fans are of the opinion that they are fighting the Night Aaniments on UFC des Moines on Saturday evening.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top