Ponzinibbio: 'Victory over Gunnar Nelson puts me close to the belt'

Ponzinibbio comes from four consecutive victories (Photo: Disclosure/Facebook)

Going through the best phase of his career, Santiago Ponzinibbio prepares for the most relevant fight in Ultimate. Scheduled to face Gunnar Nelson in the main attraction of UFC Glasgow, on July 16th, in Sweden, the Argentine guarantees that he is ready to face the best in the welterweight category (up to 77kg). Confident of victory, he guarantees that a victory over the Icelandic will bring him closer to his biggest goal: the category belt.

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“I expected a great fight, because I come from four victories (Andreas Stahl, Court mcgee, Zak Cummings and Nordine Taleb), with two knockouts in the first round and two unanimous decisions from the judges at my opponents' home. I was already waiting for an important fight, and I'm happy to be in the main fight against a great fighter like Gunnar Nelson. We're going to fight MMA, not jiu-jitsu. They are different sports. I have great jiu-jitsu coaches, training partners, and I've been training jiu-jitsu for years. My floor is fair, on point. If he gives me an opening, I'll take it and finish. It will be another step towards the belt. My focus is on Gunnar Nelson, but without a doubt a victory puts me closer to the top. I hope to face a top 5 finisher by the end of the year, to get even closer to the belt, which is my ultimate goal”, he declared, in an interview with the “MMA Fighting” website.

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Known for his strong striking game, Santiago will have a clash of styles against Nelson, since his rival has jiu-jitsu as his greatest asset. However, Hermano guarantees that he is prepared to play in any area of the game.

“In addition to having a great history in the UFC, he has great footwork and a tough right hand, but his strong point is jiu-jitsu. I know what he will try to do to me. He won't try to surprise me and exchange blows. When he feels the pressure, he will try to take me down. But I'm well trained, and I still have nine more weeks to work. I will be in my best shape. This is the best moment of my career, and I'm not worried about how good he is. I believe in myself and my coaches”, assured Ponzinibbio, who concluded by praising the importance of his training partners at the American Top Team academy during his preparation for the battle.

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"I have Rudolph Vieira e Antonio Shoe Guy here. Why would I need to bring more experts on the ground? I have excellent training partners at the gym, and I will be ready for the fight. I have everything I need here, so I'm at peace. I know I have knockout power and will be ready for five rounds if necessary, but a knockout or a submission are consequences. If victory comes sooner, great. I have the perfect strategy,” he concluded.

This will be Ponzinibbio's first main event in the organization. At 30 years old, the Argentinian Gente Boa is going through a great phase, with four consecutive victories, the most recent over Nordine Taleb at UFC Halifax, in February this year. In Ultimate, there have already been eight fights, with six victories – three by knockout – and two defeats. He was a finalist in TUF Brasil 2, but was prevented from fighting in the final of the program after getting injured.

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