RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesSam Patterson met the media Saturday after his win over Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Fight Night 282.
Patterson (15-3-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) got some early tests from longtime welterweight Ponzinibbio (30-10 MMA, 12-9 UFC) on the prelims at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. But ultimately, he took over toward the end of the first and put him away with a TKO in the second.
The Brit said the opportunity to fight someone who’s been around as long as Ponzinibbio has was the reason he signed up to be the Brazilian’s 40th fight – and why he had to leave with a stoppage.
“I pride myself on finishes,” Patterson told the UFC after the fight. “I’m a winner, and I’m a finisher, so it’s good to be back. I took the fight on short notice because of the name value – because of who he was. He’s been fighting in the UFC for as long as I’ve been fighting.
“… I’m a fan, and at the end of the day, as well. I’ve watched him fight. To be in there against him – nothing but respect. But when I step in the cage, that all goes out the window. It has to.”
"I'm a winner and I'm a finisher." Sam Patterson is eager to get straight back to work after returning to the win column with a second-round TKO of Santiago Ponzinibbio at #UFCAbuDhabi . Prelim Results ➡️ https://t.co/unjXsOEd6u @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/Fn3hqb8fgU
— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 25, 2026 Now Patterson wants to pay close attention to this week’s UFC show in Belgrade, Serbia. That card is headlined by a 170-pound scrap between Uros Medic (13-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and Daniel Rodriguez (20-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC), and he likes the way the crystal ball looks for him to fight the winner.
“My aim was to be in the top 15 by the end of the year,” Patterson said. “I want to challenge myself. I want to be the best in the world, so up is the only way I want to go. … It’s a good timeline. I fought this week. They’ll fight (Saturday). (The UFC will be at) T-Mobile (Arena in Las Vegas) at the end of the year. Let’s put it on.”
Check out Patterson's post-fight interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sam Patterson eyes Medic-Rodriguez winner after UFC Abu Dhabi TKO
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