Santiago Ponzinibbio or the ‘Argentine Dagger’ is a UFC fighter in the welterweight division and has been quite the sensation in combat sports. He is a Team Nogueira member on TUF Brazil 2 and has been a pro since 2008. He will fight Muslim Salikhov at UFC fight night on July 13 and the Italian will represent his birthplace again.

Ahead of his next fight, let’s get to know more about the UFC welterweight athlete!

Is Santiago Ponzinibbio Italian or Argentine?

Santiago Ponzinibbio was born in La Plata, Argentina on September 26 1986 and even though his parents are Italian, he proudly represents his birthplace. His grandparents are from Sicily and the ‘Argentine Dagger’ is primarily Italian. The 37-year-old started his combat sports journey as a teenager and his first stint with combat was kickboxing.

Ponzinibbio developed an interest in combat when he was just 13, as he watched the students in a kickboxing class in a gym in his home country. The black belt in Jiu-jitsu and champion of The Nitrix made his pro debut in 2008. The fighter, who studied Physical Education in college, has seen it all, as he has worked in almost every sector, from being a teacher to a security guard, an assistant cook to even a book salesman. He never stopped as he had to fulfill his dream of becoming a UFC fighter.

Exploring UFC star’s personal life and background

Due to his amazing performance in TUF Brazil, despite not winning it, Santiago Ponzinibbio was offered a UFC contract and made his debut in November 2013 against Ryan Lafare. The ‘Argentine Dagger’ might have lost his first fight at UFC but went on to win 9 out of his next 10 fights in the span of 4 years from 2014 to 2018.

However, every champion has a setback and it came to Ponzinibbio due to COVID-19 and a severe staph infection. The fighter could not participate for two whole years. The 37-year-old eventually returned to UFC in 2021 against Li Jingliang. His last fight was against Alex Morono in 2022 Dec and now he is set to fight Salikhov.

Just like any Argentine, Ponzinibbio, too, loves football and Messi. He defended the GOAT and protected him against Canelo Alvarez’s comments after Argentina defeated Mexico in the FIFA World Cup 2022. The fighter known for defeating Sean Strickland, Mike Perry, and Neil Magny, challenged Alvares, “I was upset. Brother, if you want to fight, I’m ready, but leave Messi be. You mess with Messi, you mess with the entire Argentina. Don’t bother the kid.”

Well, indeed! If you mess with Messi then, you mess with the entire Argentina. Do you think Ponzinibbio is going to clinch the win in his upcoming fight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.