Santiago Ponzinibbio Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 6 ft |
Weight | 77 kg |
Date of Birth | September 26, 1986 |
Zodiac Sign | Libra |
Eye Color | Hazel |
Santiago Ponzinibbio is an Argentinian professional mixed martial artist who began competing in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2013. As of November 2021, he was ranked number 14 in the UFC welterweight rankings. As of November 2021, he had put together an impressive 28-4 win-loss record in his professional mixed arts career, including a 10-3 win-loss record since joining UFC. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Since 2016, he has also worked as a commentator and analyst for UFC Spanish.
Born Name
Santiago Ponzinibbio
Nick Name
Argentine Dagger, Gente Boa
Sun Sign
Libra
Born Place
La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Residence
Coconut Creek, Broward County, Florida, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Mixed Martial Artist
Weight(s)
Welterweight
Stance
Orthodox
Reach
6 ft 1 in or 185.5 cm
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
77 kg or 170 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Italian descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Hazel
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Close-cropped hair
- Sports a trimmed beard
- Has his entire right hand covered in tattoos
- Has tattoos on his left arm, upper left chest, left thigh, and right side
Santiago Ponzinibbio Facts
- Born in Argentina to parents of Italian heritage, Santiago had started getting trained in kickboxing when he was 13 years old. He had later developed an interest in mixed martial arts but since there were not too many facilities to train for the same in Argentina, he had briefly moved to Florianópolis, the capital and second-largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. In his first 5 months there, he used to live in a tent on a beach and would survive by doing some odd jobs.
- He had eventually turned professional in 2008 and before joining UFC in 2013, he had amassed an incredible 18–1 win-loss record competing in promotions based in Brazil and Argentina such as Copa Desafio, Cupide del MMA, Real Fights, Explosion Fight Night, Argentina Fighting Championships, Hero Kombat, Expo Fighting Championship, Amazon Fight, Brazilian Fight League, Centurion Mixed Martial Arts, Nitrix Champion Fight, Sao Jose Super Fight, Monster Black Combat, and Insano Empalux – Grand Prix.
- In March 2013, he had been selected as a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2, an installment of the UFC-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, a reality TV series and mixed martial arts competition produced by the UFC. He had broken his hand during the semifinal fight and had to be replaced for the final. His semifinal fight was selected as the ‘Fight of the Season’. He had made his UFC debut in November 2013 and had lost that bout via unanimous decision.
- In July 2017, during UFC Fight Night 113, he had become the first fighter ever to have finished Gunnar Nelson by knockout. The win had also earned him his first ‘Performance of the Night’ UFC Bonus Award. Gunnar had later alleged that Santiago had poked him in the eye, a claim that the latter had denied.
- As of November of 2021, he had won 4 UFC Bonus Awards (separate cash bonuses usually awarded to 4 fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by the UFC management) – ‘Fight of the Night’ (twice) and ‘Performance of the Night’ (twice).
Featured Image by Santiago Ponzinibbio / Instagram