Ponzinibbio faces 93% stoppage-rate finisher Patterson at UFC Fight Night 282 in Abu Dhabi

Santiago Ponzinibbio will step back into the Octagon on July 25 at UFC Fight Night 282 in Abu Dhabi, where he has been matched against British welterweight Sam Patterson in a 170-pound contest added to the now 13-fight card. Whether the bout lands on the main card or the prelims has not yet been confirmed.

Ponzinibbio, who turns 40 in September, has endured a difficult stretch since a seven-fight win streak that included victories over Neil Magny and Mike Perry. Since 2021, the Argentine — nicknamed “Argentine Dagger” — has won just three of nine fights. He most recently knocked out Carlston Harris in the third round in January 2025, before suffering a stoppage loss to Daniel Rodriguez via body kick and ground strikes in May of the same year.

Patterson arrives with his own recent setback on the record. The Brit had rattled off four consecutive first-round finishes before running into Michael Page, whose decision victory ended Patterson’s run and marked the first time he had heard the final bell since June 2021 — a stretch of eight fights, seven of which went his way. Patterson carries a 93% stoppage rate, with his finishes split nearly evenly between knockouts and submissions. A stoppage win over Ponzinibbio would level his knockout and submission tallies at seven apiece.

The full UFC Fight Night 282 lineup as it stands:

• Steve Erceg vs. Ramazonbek Temirov — flyweight
• Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune — heavyweight
• Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen — heavyweight
• Dustin Jacoby vs. Uran Satybaldiev — light heavyweight
• Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson — welterweight
• Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola — lightweight
• Brendson Ribeiro vs. Magomed Tuchalov — light heavyweight
• Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman — welterweight
• Nurullo Aliev vs. Mike Davis — lightweight
• Muin Gafurov vs. Abdul Hussein — bantamweight
• Saygid Izagakhmaev vs. Abubakar Vagaev — welterweight
• Damian Rzepecki vs. Magomed Zaynukov — lightweight
• Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson — welterweight