MMA Preview – Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 206
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
SANTIAGO PONZINIBBIO VS MICHEL PEREIRA FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 206? Sunday 22nd May, 2022 - 00:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 206? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 206? Click here for the tickets at the O2 Arena
What channel is UFC Fight Night 206 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 206? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
SANTIAGO PONZINIBBIO VS MICHEL PEREIRA LOWDOWN
It is fair to say Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-5) has not found octagon life as easy as before his hiatus. His burying of Neil Magny capped a seven-fight win streak in 2018. He returned over two years later with a tough match-up against Li Jingliang who clipped him clean to secure a first-round knockout. He then duked it out in a war with Miguel Baeza five months later clinching the decision, but then went on to lose another hard-fought split decision to Geoff Neal (2021).
Dare we say the crazy showboating Michel Pereira (27-11(2)) has retired. He will always have that spark but after getting humbled by Tristan Connelly (2019) and mindlessly getting disqualified in his fight with Diego Sanchez (2020) he has gone on to string four exceptional wins against top talents. He submitted Zelim Imadaev (2020) and earnt measured unanimous decisions over Khaos Williams (2020), Niko Price (2021) and Andre Fialho (2022)
SANTIAGO PONZINIBBIO VS MICHEL PEREIRA PREDICTION
What a fight this is. Pereira looks like he is putting everything together now and if he continues on the same trajectory, he will break the top 10. This is a big jump in competition and even though Ponzinibbio had that long layoff and has lost two of his last three, he is getting back to his best.
He has the advantage when it comes to experience and he is one of the best strikers in the division, but the first couple rounds will be a back-and-forth battle. Ponzinibbio has better hands and is more technical, but Pereira has the X-factor where he has the unorthodox movement to create angles and land devastating blows from a distance with flying attacks.
Within striking range, Ponzinibbio will win the exchanges attacking the whole body with 1-2's down the pipe and kicks to the legs and body of Pereira. If the Brazilian remains patient and utilizes his movement to circle and time his attacks from range, he can cause more damage.
However, if this goes past the second round, Pereira will begin to fatigue. He has worked hard on his cardio, but Ponzinibbio has proven to finish strong and fight hard to the bell and this is where we think he will win the fight.
Pereira will be super dangerous, especially in the first round, but if he remains the favourite, Ponzinibbio is the smart pick.
Prediction: Ponzinibbio via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Ponzinibbio via Decision
