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UFC Fight Night 140 Results: Santiago Ponzinibbio Wins Main Event Via Knockout
November 18, 2018
Santiago Ponzinibbio turned in a strong performance in a fourth-round knockout win over Neil Magny to close out UFC Fight Night 140 as the organization expanded its global footprint to Argentina for the first time in Buenos Aires.
The Argentine national wasted little time in setting the tone. He connected with heavy leather to pressure Magny in the opening moments and set up camp in front of his opponent.
That pressure continued throughout the first round. Ponzinibbio took the early lead on the scorecards as Magny fought off his back foot.
Ponzinibbio's leg kicks became a bigger factor as the fight moved into the second stanza. He stayed in front of Magny, chopping away at the lead leg and even knocking him to the mat with a kick at one point.
With Magny's mobility compromised, Ponzinibbio's pressured carried the round once again, as only an accidental headbutt caused him to slow a bit.
Fortunately, Ponzinibbio's cut issue didn't become a major factor. Instead, he continued hindering Magny's movement with leg kicks and patiently selecting his shots with his hands.
After picking and picking, Ponzinibbio finally landed the punch he was waiting for and sent Magny into the canvas face-first to give his hometown crowd what it wanted.
It was a memorable performance to close the night, and Ponz extended his win streak to seven.
It was a night of comebacks, impressive prospects and throwback performances from veterans for the Argentine crowd. Here's a rundown of all the results and a closer look at the main card bouts.
Fox Sports 1 Main Card
- Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Neil Magny via KO (punches) Round 4
- Ricardo Lamas def. Darren Elkins via TKO (punches) at 4:09 of Round 3
- Johnny Walker def. Khalil Rountree Jr. via KO (elbows) at 1:57 of Round 1
- Ian Heinisch def. Cezar Ferreira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Marlon Vera def. Guido Cannetti via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:31 of Round 2
- Cynthia Calvillo def. Poliana Botelho via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:48 of Round 1
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
- Michel Prazeres def. Bartosz Fabinski via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:02 of Round 1
- Alexandre Pantoja def. Ulka Sasaki via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:18 of Round 1
- Austin Arnett def. Humberto Bandenay via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
- Laureano Staropoli def. Hector Aldana via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
- Jesus Pinedo def. Devin Powell via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Nad Narimani def. Anderson dos Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Darren Elkins vs. Ricardo Lamas
It's been a while since you could describe a Ricardo Lamas performance as "vintage," but his look against Darren Elkins was close.
Elkins is notorious for making fights look competitive, and he didn't disappoint. Lamas tagged "The Damage" early and bloodied him, but the veteran kept coming forward.
Simple aggression wouldn't be enough, though, as Lamas looked sharp in all areas.
The most important aspect would turn out to be his ground-and-pound. Lamas went to work with hammerfists in the third frame and finished Elkins for just the fourth time in his career.
While it was good to see Lamas looking solid again, it'll be a long climb for him to get back in contention. He's 3-3 in his last six fights.
Johnny Walker vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
It was a good night for Dana White Contender Series fighters who made their UFC debuts, as Johnny Walker scored an early first-round stoppage of Khalil Rountree Jr. to introduce himself to the organization.
Walker—who is a 6'6" light heavyweight—was able to get the much shorter Rountree Jr. (6'1") in the muay thai clinch before he dropped him with a horrific elbow:
It was certainly the kind of debut that is bound to raise eyebrows, and Twitter responded accordingly:
With a massive frame and an exciting style, Walker was one of the highlights of the card and a name to look at in a division desperate for young talent.
Cezar Ferreira vs. Ian Heinisch
Speaking of names to keep an eye on Ian Heinisch established himself in that category on Saturday night as well.
The 30-year-old had the odds stacked against him in his bout with Cezar Ferreira. The Dana White's Contender Series alum made his UFC debut on short notice against a man who had won five of his last six and looked like the better fighter in every facet.
His first-round effort was marked by two deep submission attempts, including an armbar that appeared to do damage. Then came a big overhand right that floored his opponent in the second:
By the third, it was clear who the better fighter was:
It's as impressive a debut as Heinisch could've hoped for on short notice against a quality opponent. It'll be exciting to see what he does with a full training camp the next time out.
Marlon Vera vs. Guido Cannetti
Guido Cannetti nearly finished Marlon Vera in the first round. And when an opponent has the opportunity to take out Vera early in the fight, they better do so.
The hometown Argentine, Cannetti, showed the crowd what it wanted to see with a strong first frame. He scored a takedown and a knockdown, and threatened a submission to seize a dominant early lead. But he couldn't finish the job.
That would haunt him as Vera came back in the second round like a fighter possessed.
He attacked across the cage with a flying knee that found a home and flipped the bout. A flurry of punches later floored Cannetti again and set up another rear-naked choke to complete an impressive comeback for Chito.
The 25-year-old has back-to-back wins in the Octagon after he lost his previous two fights.
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Poliana Botelho
Cynthia Calvillo might have had a difficult time at the scales Friday, but she had no problem with performing in the Octagon on Saturday.
The 31-year-old missed weight but showed up big in her first fight of 2018 with a first-round submission victory over Poliana Botelho. Calvillo got off to a slow start in the striking, but once the fight hit the ground it didn't take long for her to hit her strides.
Fox Sports tweeted out the finish:
It's a big win in terms of recapturing some career momentum for Calvillo. The fighter had a strong 2017 in which she won four fights and lost one, but has been out for most of this year after she served a suspension for failing a drug test for marijuana.
Handing Botelho her first UFC loss should be a good notch in her belt to get noticed by UFC brass.