Santiago Ponzinibbio had to show heart and durability against Carlston Harris, but it was the determining factor in his UFC Fight Night 249 win.
Ponzinibbio (30-8 MMA, 12-7 UFC) was in a bad way early against Harris (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in the welterweight co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, however, he managed to turn the tables and come through with the TKO win at the 3:13 mark of Round 3 (via X):
Santiago Ponzinibbio poured it on for the finish 😤 #UFCVegas101 pic.twitter.com/IrTTaOz4HJ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 12, 2025
The fight nearly was won by Harris in the opening round when he dropped Ponzinibbio, who was badly rocked but survived until the final bell. Harris kept it up in the second frame, landing more hard shots on his Argentinean foe.
Ponzinibbio dug deep and found damaging offense on Harris in the second round, and arguably put the momentum on his side going into the significant final frame.
That’s when Ponzinibbio turned his comeback into high gear. He bloodied and dropped Harris multiple times before the referee jumped in for the standing TKO.
Harris somewhat objected the stoppage and said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping that it was “stopped a little but early,” but ultimately embraced Ponzinibbio after the fight.
The 38-year-old Ponzinibbio hopes the big result sets up an active 2025 campaign.
“I’ve been here for 12 years in the UFC and I deliver wars,” Ponzinibbio said in his post-fight interview with Bisping. “My wish for this year is to stay active. Maybe I can fight in Miami. I’ve lived near there for more than 10 years. It’s my second home.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 249 results include:
- Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Carlston Harris via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:13
- Cesar Almeida def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:16
- Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis via TKO (head kick) – Round 3, 4:59
- Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Punahele Soriano def. Uros Medic via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:31
- Felipe Bunes def. Jose Johnson via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:04
- Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:04
- Thiago Moises def. Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:13
- Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Bruno Lopes def. Magomed Gadzhiyasulov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Fatima Kline def. Viktoriia Dudakova via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 4:27
- Nurullo Aliev def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.
