UFC Vegas 55: Michel Pereira defeated Santiago Ponzinibio.
Michel Pereira defeated Santiago Ponzenibio via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28), at UFC Vegas 55 on Saturday, May 21, 2022, straight from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Round one kicked off with a glove touch. After just 38 seconds of the fight, he stopped after Ponzenibio accidentally stabbed him in the eye of Pereira. Pereira landed in his right arm.
Ponzenbio continued to be aggressive and push forward but missed most of his shots. Pereira missed a wild shot but fired from a low kick. Ponzinibbio landed with a punch and then missed with his big left hand. Pereira stunned Ponzenibio for a while with his right hand that landed just behind the ear. Ponzinibbio recovered and hit a kick. The fighters exchanged right hands as the first round drew to a close.
Pereira got a great combination to start the second round. Ponzinibbio continued to push the movement but struggled to land. Pereira hit a big shot and followed it up with a powerful kick to the body. Pereira was noticeably more accurate with his punches. Ponzinibbio had a great composition but Periera came back strong. Ponzinibbio landed a triple from the big left which slowed Pereira down. The fighters’ noses began to bleed in the middle of the second round. Ponzinibbio fell into a double takedown with 17 seconds left in the round.
Pereira opened the final round with a force coming through the cage. Pereira fell with her big right hand and knee, but Ponzenibio managed to survive. Ponzinibbio fell with his left hand but ate a kick in the leg. Ponzinibbio landed a mix. The two fighters continued to exchange punches. Ponzinibbio hit more punches than Periera, who landed more powerful punches.
With less than two minutes remaining, both fighters began swinging wildly. The two exchanged punches and kicks on the body. Ponzinibbio landed a big left hook with less than a minute remaining. Pereira came back strong. The last 30 seconds were all in motion as the two fighters exchanged punches while trying to win a very close battle.
UFC Vegas 55: Michael Pereira beats Santiago Ponzinibi . by a split decision
At the end of 2018, Ponzinibbio was in a winning streak of seven fights and looked like a future title contender. However, injuries are set to derail Ponzenbio’s career and keep him on the sidelines for 26 months. Since returning to play, Ponzinibbio has struggled, losing two of his three fights in 2021. In his last fight, Ponzinibbio lost a split decision to Geoff Neal at UFC 269, placing him 14th in the rankings.
Pereira entered Saturday’s battle in a four-game winning streak. He defeated the unpredictable Brazilian fighter Andre Fialho by decision at UFC 270.
UFC Vegas 55: Holly Holm vs.Ketlen Vieira was held on Saturday, May 14, 2022, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Follow along with FanSided MMA who will be on site for all the news and highlights.
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