Santiago Ponzinibbio faces Sam Patterson at UFC Abu Dhabi

Santiago Ponzinibbio will face British finisher Sam Patterson at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, the promotion confirmed via social media Friday.

The welterweight matchup adds a 13th bout to UFC Fight Night 282, though its placement on the main card or prelims remains unannounced, according to Sherdog. Ponzinibbio, who turns 40 in September, has won just three of his last nine outings dating back to 2021. The Argentine last fought in May 2025, dropping a decision to Daniel Rodriguez after absorbing a body kick and follow-up punches. Before that, he stopped Carlston Harris with a third-round knockout in January 2025, snapping a rough patch that followed a seven-fight win streak over names like Neil Magny and Mike Perry.

Patterson's finish streak snapped by Page decision

Patterson enters off his first loss in five fights, a decision defeat to Michael Page that ended a four-fight run of opening-round finishes. The bout marked the first time the Brit had seen a final bell since June 2021, a stretch covering eight contests with seven wins. Patterson carries a 93 percent finish rate across 14 victories, split nearly evenly between knockouts and submissions at six and seven respectively—a knockout of Ponzinibbio would level the count at seven apiece.

The card is headlined by a heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight bout between Magomed Ankalaev and Khalil Rountree, with Steve Erceg meeting Ramazonbek Temirov at flyweight in the co-main slot.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Santiago Ponzinibbio returns against British finisher at UFC Abu Dhabi