Las Vegas, NV — When Santiago Ponzinibbio isn’t fighting in a cage, he is calling the fights on the UFC’s Spanish broadcast. That’s not a role he went to school for, or really even wanted to do— but when he recorded narration for a UFC documentary, commentating kind of fell into his lap.
“It just happened, brother. It just happened. I did a documentary for the UFC in Spanish at the end of 2015 in Los Angeles. They met me for some [other] projects, and I did a couple of them, and after that, they invited me to the broadcast,” Ponzinibbio told Cageside Press during UFC Vegas 55’s media day this week. “From there, it was little by little. I love it, man. I really enjoy it.”
“Nobody prepared me for that, right? I started to do it, and then I did it more, more, more and figured out the timing. On TV, you need to take the timing. You need to know that [when you have] short time you to talk good things. I think the experience gave me a lot today. [It’s been] seven years doing the show. I really enjoy it, and I think I do a good job. The producers are very, very happy. I work a lot, and I’m happy.”
When asked if he takes any tips from any of the other numerous UFC broadcasters, he said he does. “Yeah, I watch what are they doing. The guys in English and Spanish. I watch other sports.”
The Argentinean fighter returns against Michel Pereira in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 55 this Saturday. He has alternated wins and losses in his last three, which to some fans and analysts, means he has fallen off a bit.
Before his 26-month lay-off in the middle of his prime, Ponzinibbio rattled off eight wins and knocked out Neil Magny in his second main event.
He told his critics who think the 2018 Ponzinibbio is gone to just keep watching.
“Yeah, the people always talk sh*t. I don’t care what people say. I showed my work inside the cage. Watch my fight this Saturday, and you’ll [get my] response,” Ponzinibbio said.
Watch the rest of Santiago Ponzinibbio’s UFC Vegas 55 media day interview above. More coverage of the event, which takes place Saturday, May 21, 2022 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, can be found below.