An explosive welterweight match-up is in the works between Geoff Neal and Santiago Ponzinibbio.
According to ESPN, the two 170-pound fighters will meet at UFC 269 on Dec. 11. Ponzinibbio, (28-4-0) last competed in June against Miguel Baeza. The 35-year-old won the bout by unanimous decision. Facing Argentina’s Ponzinibbio is Neal (13-4-0) who will look to earn his first win since 2019.
The reported pairing is set to take place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Nevada. In addition, the UFC 269 pay-per-view is headlined by Dustin Poirier who looks to earn undisputed gold when he clashes with Brazil’s Charles Oliveira. With the return of the double champion Amanda Nunes in the co-main event, the card is drunk with talent as bantamweight contender Julianna Peña looks to usurp one of the MMA greats.
Neal returns from back-to-back losses to Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny. Even though “Handz of Steel” made it to the judge’s scorecards in both outings, he struggled to put hands on the two elusive strikers. Fighting out of Fortis MMA, Neal presents a well-rounded challenge for Ponzinibbio. Of the American’s thirteen victories, ten have come by way of finish (8 TKOs/knockouts & 2 submissions).
Ponzinibbio was on the cusp of title aspirations in 2018 after firing off seven consecutive victories. The Argentinian native possesses strong finishing abilities and power in his hands. Before he began his UFC run, the contender was featured on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2. Despite advancing to the semi-finals, the contestant would be forced out of the competition due to a broken hand.
When Ponzinibbio is healthy and on point, he’s one of the more dangerous UFC welterweights on the roster. After earning a win in June, it appears the wind is back in the 35-year old’s sails. As UFC 269 approaches, the card continues to pile up with pivotal match-ups.
Do you think Geoff Neal can get back into the win column at UFC 269?
