In a welterweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Li Jingliang meet at UFC on ABC 1 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event is also known as UFC Fight Island 7. The prelims kick off at noon ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.
Ponzinibbio (28-3) streaks in with seven consecutive victories, including a fourth-round KO/TKO win over Neil Magny in his most recent bout Nov. 17, 2018, in the main event in his native Argentina. He has been sidelined since due to a pair of bacterial infections, which forced him to spend eight days in the hospital. The Argentine fighter was initially discharged, but started to lose weight and developed a fever, which had his doctors concerned. He was forced to spend 10 more days in the hospital before being cleared to return to training and physical therapy. He was unable to regain his strength, however, and doctors said his career might be in jeopardy as a result. After many more meetings with doctors, including a rheumatologist, he was correctly diagnosed and able to rebuild strength and get back on track with his career after the scare.
Jingliang (17-6) also fought Magny in his last fight (March 7, 2020), losing by unanimous decision at UFC 248. The loss snapped a three-bout win streak, which had Jingliang rising in the welterweight rankings. Five of his previous nine pro bouts have finished inside the distance, including five victories via KO/TKO.
This event will be broadcast on network television for the first time since a FOX broadcast in December 2018. It will also be the first time a limited number of fans can attend since UFC 248. The UFC is expecting around 2,000 fans, or less than 10 percent capacity.
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Ponzinibbio vs. Jingliang: Betting odds, predictions and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:40 p.m. ET.
Ponzinibbio (-275) is a rather heavy favorite in this one, and that’s surprising considering he is coming back from such a lengthy layoff and there are plenty of questions concerning his strength and cardio and whether there will be any rust. As such, JINGLIANG (+225) might be worth a small-unit play as a good flyer.
We aren’t likely to see Ponzinibbio fire out of the box and look for a quick finish. He will likely take it slow as he eases back into the octagon, trying to conserve his energy and see where he is physically before letting it go full out against a tough opponent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this one need the judges, so it’s rather surprising YES (+130): “WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?” Take advantage. OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (+110) gives you a little wiggle room if it doesn’t quite go the distance, and is still a nice value at plus-money.
It’s a little risky, but back JINGLIANG IN ROUND 1 (+900), JINGLIANG IN ROUND 2 (+1300) and JINGLIANG IN ROUND 3 (+2000). Yes, you will lose at least two of those, and all three if Ponzinibbio wins or Jingliang wins on points. But if Jingliang gets the finish, you’ll be far ahead, and it is worth the risk.
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