The Scorecard | UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Sakai

As the first round of his bout with Miguel Baeza ended, I wondered if Santiago Ponzinibbio’s over two-year layoff had taken something away from him that he’d never get back. First was the comeback loss to Li Jingliang in January, and now he was battered and bruised and in need of some adjustments to his gameplan after five minutes with Baeza. But over the next two rounds, Ponzinibbio was the fighter he was before the layoff, and while it would be nice to wax poetic about his technique of experience, his win had everything to do with guts and determination. He was not going to lose that fight, and he left everything in the Octagon in order to get his hand raised. That’s heart.

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WHAT’S NEXT? Ponzinibbio will likely find his way back into the welterweight Top 15 after his Fight of the Night victory, and whether he does or not, he deserves a Top 15 opponent. Robbie Lawler or Vicente Luque anyone? I may need my heart checked before either of those fights happen.

It’s not easy to win five straight in the UFC. It’s even harder to do so in the UFC’s heavyweight division, where one swing of the fist can be a fight ender. But Marcin Tybura has done just that, and he’s had to take more than a couple swings from power hitters like Walt Harris and Greg Hardy to get here. And after a come from behind win over Harris last Saturday, he’s going to be perilously close to getting in the race for a shot for the heavyweight title. Not bad for a guy who went 1-4 from 2017 to 2019.

View All The Results From UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik Vs Sakai

WHAT’S NEXT? Curtis Blaydes may be coming off a knockout loss to Derrick Lewis in February, but once the No.4-ranked contender returns, Blaydes vs. Tybura is an intriguing and important matchup among the big men.

While no one has emerged as a clear-cut contender for Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight crown, would I be crazy if I thought that with a couple more wins, Manon Fiorot might be the one to give “Bullet” a tough test? Yeah, she hasn’t fought or beaten anyone in the UFC Top 15, but what she’s done in two UFC fights is dominate her opposition and get them out of there with a vicious finality. I want to see more from “The Beast,” and this time next year, the world may want to see her in with the champ.

View Fiorot's Athlete Profile | Fiorot Post-Fight Interview

WHAT’S NEXT? Fiorot has earned a shot at a Top 15 foe after last weekend’s win over Tabatha Ricci, and Antonina Shevchenko would not just be a good test for Fiorot, but a good style matchup for Shevchenko, as this will likely end up as a striking showdown.