Welterweights Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez clash on the UFC Des Moines main card. Will the judges be needed?
Santiago Ponzinibbio and Daniel Rodriguez meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 67 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez UFC on ESPN 67 preview
Ponzinibbio (30-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) will look to string together a pair of victories for the first time sinze 2018. The past eight outings have produced mixed results for Ponzinibbio, although he enters this matchup on the heels of a January third-round stoppage of Carlston Harris. … Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) also aims to make it two in a row following a split decision win over Alex Morono in October. That result snapped a three-fight skid stretching back to 2022.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez UFC on ESPN 67 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card is a potential welterweight war between Ponzinibbio and Rodriguez.
Both men, at their best, are action fighters who aren’t afraid to exchange on the feet. That said, there’s no denying that Ponzinibbio and Rodriguez have experienced some drop-offs in their abilities at this stage of their careers, which makes this one extra tricky to call.
Although Ponzinibbio officially stands at 1-2 opposite UFC-level southpaws, the Argentinian tends to strike fairly well in open-stance affairs once he’s found his flow.
The potential problem, however, is that Ponzinibbio, who has always had a propensity to get stung early, has steadily become less durable in this last stretch of his career. Rodriguez is not beyond being hurt himself, but I suspect that Ponzinibbio’s aggression and patterns will bring out the best in his opposition.
It’s hard to be confident either way (as I secretly hope I’m wrong here), but I’ll reluctantly side with Rodriguez to edge a narrow decision that the judges will likely be split on.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez UFC on ESPN 67 odds
Despite the oddsmakers opening the Mexican-American as the favorite, public money has flipped the betting lines in the Argentinian’s favor, listing Ponzinibbio -142 and Rodriguez +116 via FanDuel.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez UFC on ESPN 67 start time, how to watch
Ponzinibbio and Rodriguez are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN 2 and streams on ESPN+.