Two welterweights looking to get back in the win column squared off when Argentina’s Santiago Ponzinibbio (12-8 UFC) faced England’s Sam Patterson (4-2 UFC) on the prelims of UFC Abu Dhabi.
Ponzinibbio, a 20-fight UFC veteran, had won just one fight in three years. He looked to find his groove against Patterson, a rising welterweight who was stumped in a low-volume affair against MVP earlier this year.
Round 1- Patterson started the fight trying to dictate with his jav and stay out of Ponzinibbio’s boxing range. Ponzinibbio stalked forward and sprung in with a big right hand, hurting Patterson and sending him retreating. Patterson recovered quickly and got back to his game plan, but Ponzinibbio made his power known early. After baiting a rush out of Ponzinibbio, Patterson tapped him with a straight right after dipping out of range. Patterson mixed up his looks of pressure and patience, allowing him to find some nice punches on the way in. A big 1-2 landed as he went on the hunt, finding consistent success while Ponzinibbio lost his range. Patterson countered an aggressive flurry with a short right hand that momentarily dropped Ponzinibbio.
Round 2- Ponzinibbio came out pressuring, forcing his way in with wide hooks. Patterson found success skating out of the way and landing at the end of Ponzinbbio’s combinations. Patterson kept it simple, but was completely controlling the fight with his 1-2. After rocking Ponzinibbio again, Patterson seized the opportunity. He stayed aggressive and dropped Ponzinibbio with a massive left hook. Patterson let him up, tracked him down, and landed a massive 1-2 over the top to close the show.
A dominant showing for Sam Patterson to cement himself in the welterweight division after a loss. He improves to 5-2 in the UFC with five finishes.
Official Result: Sam Patterson def. Santiago Ponzinibbio by TKO (punches), Round 2, 3:06
