Santiago Ponzinibbio’s return to the Octagon did not go as planned.
At UFC Fight Island 7 on Saturday, Ponzinibbio was returning after a two-year layoff due to health issues to battle Li Jingliang. Entering the fight, many thought it was a setup fight for Ponzinibbio to get a big win and prove to everyone he still one of the best welterweights alive.
However, the fight did not go as planned as early on Ponzinibbio was having a difficult time with his speed and timing and eventually got caught and knocked out in the first.
Following the loss, Ponzinibbio took to Instagram to release an emotional statement.
“I have no words to describe the sadness I feel. I wanted to return giving a victory, you deserve it for so much support,” Ponzinibbio wrote. “I worked very hard for this event, a whole year of preparation but this sport is like that, there is a part out of control, a blow that comes in and everything ends. I want to thank all the messages and the love of always! All my life I forged it on adversity, this time it will be no different. I’m coming back stronger than ever #teamponzinibbio #argentinedagger #abudabhi #fightisland”
The KO loss snapped Santiago Ponzinibbio’s seven-fight winning streak and will likely need to string together a few wins to get a chance at fighting a ranked opponent.
