UFC has never had the pleasure of making a trip to the country of Argentina to put on an event, but that changes with UFC Fight Night 140 set to take place Saturday in Buenos Aires as the year rapidly comes to a close. As is customary when UFC ventures outside of the United States, the host country will see one of its own participate in the main event as La Plata native Santiago Ponzinibbio takes on Neil Magny in a battle of top 10-ranked welterweights.
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Ponzinibbio (27-3), the No. 10 welterweight in the official rankings, will be fighting for more than just pride in his home country on Saturday night. Currently riding a six-fight win streak in the promotion with three of those victories coming by knockout, Ponzinibbio believes a positive outing inside the Octagon over the No. 8-ranked contender in Magny should put him right at the front of the line for a welterweight championship opportunity against reigning king Tyron Woodley. Ponzinibbio told MMA Junkie that he firmly believes he would have earned the shot if his impressive resume grows, but he's also not naive enough to believe it's something the promotion would simply hand to him, even with a seventh consecutive win.
"I know this may or may not happen, because there's no exact math or logic in the UFC," Ponzinibbio said. "So, now my title shot is Neil Magny. I have to beat him. That's my goal. I will win this fight and then I'll focus on my next step. Whether it's a title or another opponent, that's how it goes. There's no way around it."
Magny (21-6), the man standing in the way of Saturday's home country hero's title aspirations, isn't on a six-fight winning streak like his opponent, but he has emerged victorious in his last two outings since he suffered a brutal first-round submission loss to the legendary Rafael dos Anjos last September at UFC 215. But without a doubt, Magny has golden aspirations of his own, and a win over a somewhat rising name in Ponzinibbio on Saturday would only help that cause.
Here's the fight card with the latest odds from Bovada.
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
Santiago Ponzinibbio -340 | Neil Magny +260 | Welterweight |
Ricardo Lamas -260 | Darren Elkins +200 | Featherweight |
Khalil Rountree Jr. -260 | Johnny Walker +200 | Light heavyweight |
Cezar Ferreira | Ian Heinisch | Middleweight |
Marlon Vera -305 | Guido Cannetti +235 | Bantamweight |
| Poliana Botelho -135 | Cynthia Calvillo +105 | Women's strawweight |
UFC 140 viewing information
Date: Nov. 17 | Start time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Arena Parque Roca -- Buenos Aires, Argentina
TV: FS1 | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Prediction
Magny vs. Ponzinnibio: When putting these events together, we're reminded that UFC, while a legitimate sport, is still in the business of show business to an extent as it aims for a feel-good moment for the local hero in the main event. Sometimes it's successful, and sometimes it isn't. This time, it will be. Ponzinibbio has more than enough well-rounded skills to compete with someone the likes of Magny, but what may actually hold the most advantage for the Argentinian is his boxing acumen. He may not score the dramatic knockout victory the fans in Buenos Aires will be looking for, but he'll get in enough strikes to emerge with the win. Pick: Santiago Ponzinibbio via unanimous decision
