UFC 287 tips: Santiago Ponzinibbio and Kevin Holland battle for supremacy at welterweight
- Liam Hampton
- 7 April 2023
A fight between two men looking for recognition at welterweight, Kevin Holland and Santiago Ponzinibbio have plenty to prove as they enter the octagon at UFC 287.
At one time sporting a five fight winning streak at middleweight, Kevin Holland now finds himself down at welterweight coming off two losses to top ten ranked fighters in Stephen Thompson and Khamzat Chimaev.
That leaves "Trailblazer" with some difficult questions to answer leading into his matchup with Ponzinibbio, what weight class does he belong in? And does he have the skills to make a run at the title wherever he goes?
His matchup with Ponzinibbio will be a good test of his skills, "The Argentine Dagger" was once ranked inside the top 15 at welterweight and his power is always on display whenever he fights, finishing opponents such as Gunnar Nelson and Alex Morono in the UFC.
Injuries halted the momentum of Ponzinibbio just as he was breaking through the welterweight pack, after defeating Neil Magny by knockout in 2018, he would not fight for a further three years due to a combination of injury and Covid-19.
Now back and fighting consistently, Ponzinibbio has experienced mixed success going 2-3 in his last five fights, however two of those losses were by split decision to top 15 rivals so his ability to compete with his rivals is unquestionable.
With Holland arriving in questionable form and Ponzinibbio having the power to put anyone in the division away but needing a statement win to kickstart a title challenge, this welterweight bout has all the ingredients for a do or die performance from both men.
Key stats
Kevin Holland has been finished in his last two losses.
Four of Santiago Ponzinibbio's last six knockout wins have come in the first round.
Suggested bets
Santiago Ponzinibbio to win by KO/TKO.
