Ponzinibbio (left) joined the fans in Buenos Aires (Photo: Disclosure/Facebook)
Argentine party at UFC Fight Night Buenos Aires. In the first edition of Ultimate in the country, the venue Santiago Ponzinibbio knocked out the North American Neil Magny in the fourth round and guaranteed the joy of the fans present at Arena Parque Roca. The duel between the welterweights was the main attraction of the show.
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“We made this dream come true after many years of fighting. This is the victory you deserve. You don't know how much this means to me! I wanted the knockout, but it was difficult because the Neil Magny It is very tall and has a very large wingspan. But I'm going to knock out everyone in the division, I'm going to be the next UFC champion and in 2019 I'm going to bring the belt to Argentina!”, guaranteed a euphoric man. Santiago Ponzinibbio still in the cage.
Brazil was represented on the card in Buenos Aires with six athletes, with a tied balance: three wins and three losses. In the main program, Johnny Walker derrotou Khalil rountree by knockout, however Cezar Mutant was surpassed by Ian Heinisch, While Poliana Botelho ended up finished by Cynthia calvillo. On the other hand, on the preliminary card, Michel Trator and Alexandre pantoja submitted Bartosz Fabinski and Ulka Sasaki, respectively, while Anderson Berinja lost to Nad Narimani in the decision.
Santiago guarantees fans' party
Main star of UFC Buenos Aires, Santiago Ponzinibbio He climbed into the cage with the responsibility of representing his people in the first event on Argentine soil. Coming from five victories in a row and occupying 10th position in the welterweight rankings (up to 77,1 kg.), 'Xente Boa', as he is known, was facing the North American Neil Magny, 8th in the weight classification, and did not disappoint. With a dominant performance, he achieved a classic knockout in the fourth round.
Undaunted by the pressure of fighting at home, Santiago took the initiative in the first round. The Argentine overcame Magny's greater reach and walked forward from the start, landing good punches on the North American's face. In a combination of punches, a jab hit Neil in the eye, which appears to have been injured.
Pushed by the crowd, Ponzinibbio took control of the fight and worked with good combinations of punches and kicks. Without putting as much pressure as in the previous part, but always striking, the Argentine controlled the dispute and frustrated his rival's attacks. In one of Magny's rare attacks in the second round, the American landed an unintentional headbutt and Santiago needed to be treated by doctors. Despite the scare, he returned to the contest, pushed by the fans.
Magny tried to get back into contention in the third round, but was quickly frustrated by Santiago's initiative. A beautiful leg kick applied by the Argentine made the North American spin. Afterwards, he connected a good combination of punches. The blows to the leg further hampered Neil's movement, making him an easy target for the home athlete.
With the fight reaching its end, Santiago Ponzinibbio He increased his pace in search of the knockout, which would be a gift to the audience that filled the arena. He abused kicks to his left leg to stop Magny's movement, who fell on three occasions. With his rival worried about the attack on his injured leg, Santiago connected with a right hand bomb to the chin and brutally knocked out the North American.
UFC Buenos Aires results
Main Card
Welterweight: Santiago Ponzinnibbio defeated Neil Magny by knockout at 2m36s of R4
Featherweight: Ricardo Lamas defeated Darren Elkins by TKO at 4:09 of R3
Light Heavyweight: Johnny Walker derrotou Khalil rountree by knockout at 1m57s of R1
Average weight: Ian Heinisch derrotou Cezar Mutant in the unanimous decision of the judges (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight: Marlon Vera finished Guido cannetti with a rear naked choke at 1m31s of R2
Straw weight: Cynthia calvillo finished Poliana Botelho with a rear naked choke at 4m48s of R1
Preliminary Card
Welterweight Weight: Michel Tractor submitted Bartosz Fabinski with a guillotine 1m12s into R1
Fly weight: Alexandre pantoja submitted Ulka Sasaki with a rear naked choke at 2m18s of R1
Featherweight: Austin Arnett defeated Humberto Bandenay via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Welterweight Weight: Laureano Staropoli defeated Hector Aldana via unanimous decision (30×27, 30×27, 30×27).
Lightweight: Jesús Pinedo defeated Devin Powell via unanimous decision;
Feather weight: Nad Narimani derrotou Anderson Berinja in the unanimous decision of the judges (30×27, 30×27, 30×27).
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