Santiago Ponzinibbio is glad he showed his old self on Saturday night.
At UFC Vegas 28, Ponzinibbio earned a hard-fought decision win over Miguel Baeza in a phenomenal fight. They earned Fight of the Night for their scrap.
After the bout, Ponzinibbio said the first round was sloppy but after that, he felt like the old version.
“I tried to listen to my corner,” Ponzinibbio told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “I tried to not be nervous. He was very slippery, but I tried to (implement) my strategy. (In) the first round, I (didn’t like) my performance, but this just (led into) my second and my third round. I put the real Argentinian dagger (forth) – the real Santiago Ponzinibbio.”
Now, after some time away, Ponzinibbio says he wants to return ASAP.
“Brother, after 26 months that I sat (and watched) the division, doing nothing, I don’t like to take time off,” Ponzinibbio said. “I’d like to make, if I can, two more fights this year. Hopefully, I have the next week to work in Phoenix or work here in Vegas. I don’t care, you know? I’m back to my training, you know? I have this week to relax a little my body, then back to training. Maybe, at the end of August or September, (I’ll be back).”
When Ponzinibiio does return, he says he would like to fight Vicente Luque. He says the fight would be a very exciting one and a scrap that makes sense rankings-wise.
“I’d really like to get back in the rankings. Give me a top-five guy, you know? Maybe, Vicente Luque. He’s coming (up) very well. We can do very exciting fighting. I respect him a lot. Maybe we can do a fight.”
Ponzinibbio returned to the win column after a KO loss to Li Jingliang in January on Fight Island.
