LAS VEGAS – Alex Morono already has a good idea of what to expect from Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 282.
That’s because Morono (22-7 MMA, 11-4 UFC) already prepared for Ponzinibbio before when he helped his teammate Geoff Neal get ready to fight the Argentine at UFC 269 last December. Neal won the fight by split decision.
After serving as Neal’s main training partner for that fight, Morono feels confident when he gets his own shot at Ponzinibbio (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in Saturday’s main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.
“I’ve been watching pretty much all of his fights and when he fought Geoff Neal, I had to watch tape on him and literally emulate him for that fight camp,” Morono told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference. “Geoff did great, so I’m very comfortable with the style. Ponzinibbio and I kind of fight similarly, and I get a striker who comes forward on pay-per-view. I can’t ask for a better fight.”
Morono is stepping in on a week’s notice to replace an injured Robbie Lawler against Ponzinibbio, but he had no hesitations in accepting the fight. He expects an entertaining standup battle in arguably the biggest fight of his career.
“I think we’re gonna stand and box in the four-ounce gloves,” Morono said. “I think it would be weird if anything other than that happened and yeah, this is gonna be a cool one. I’m really looking forward to it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.