Santiago Ponzinibbio still mad at split decision losses in UFC, vows to be more dominant in 2025
Santiago Ponzinibbio is happy to be part of UFC’s first card of 2025 because it opens the door for potentially competing four times in this calendar year, but still mad that he’s 1-4 in his past five inside the octagon.
Ponzinibbio, who once saw himself entering talks for a shot at the welterweight gold for winning seven in a row between 2015 and 2018, feels he was wronged by the judges in some of his most recent bouts. The Argentine’s sole victory since 2021 was a bonus-winning knockout over Alex Morono, a result sandwiched between three split decision defeats and one stoppage.
“I have to use this [anger] to my advantage,” Ponzinibbio told MMA Fighting ahead of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 101 co-main event clash with Carlston Harris. “It has happened twice in my career, two wrong decisions against Michel Pereira and Muslim Salikhov. I think I won those two. It pisses me off that I lost three split decisions, fights I’m confident I won. It pisses me off that that happened, but I use that as fire. Fire to focus in training and adjust and go for the next one. I can’t complain or cry about it, I have to move forward.”
Ponzinibbio wants a busy year in 2025, and hopes for a clean victory this weekend at the UFC APEX to set up a return at UFC 314, a pay-per-view card that is expected to go down April 5 in Miami. If the American Top Team fighter is able to avenge one of those close losses near his Florida home, even better.
“I would be down to rematch any fighter that unfortunately I wasn’t able to win,” Ponzinibbio said. “We know it’s hard to get rematches in the UFC, it’s not that simple, but let’s see what the plans are for the company in 2025. What I really want for this year is to get a good win Saturday, a clean victory, and stay active. I want to fight three [in 2025] — or four times, since I’m fighting on the first card. That’s the goal now.”
Harris, his opponent at UFC Vegas 101, is also looking to get back on track in the UFC. Based in Brazil, “Moçambique” scored finishes in three of his four UFC wins, but lost by knockout to Khaos Williams in his most recent appearance. Harris’ other UFC defeat came by the hands of future welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.
“He’s a complete guy, he’s very long and has good arm-triangle chokes, so he’s definitely dangerous,” Ponzinibbio said. “I know he won’t be easily beat, but I’m focused on my game. I know I have power to knock him out and I have game on the ground to beat him, too. I’m very experienced, I’ve been working on my wrestling for a long time. I’m ready to work in all areas, but I believe I’ll knock him out.”
Regardless of the method, Ponzinibbio said he will do everything in his power to make sure it doesn’t go the distance to avoid more heartbreaks.
“We watched my last fights, especially the last one, and talked to the team to see what we can do to be more clear, to get the knockout, to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Ponzinibbio said. “My entire camp was based on that. I’m happy with the preparation I had and I’m ready to secure a clean victory and end this before the decision, to get a knockout — or if I can’t get the knockout, to be clear and dominant.”